St. Pete Police Drones Slash Response Times

0:00It's April 29, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Tampa Bay News today, your AI-powered local news. St. Petersburg police are leveling up their drone game, sending them out to real-time calls and slashing response times by more than half. Remote pilots control these birds from a central hub, feeding officers live details on suspects and scenes before they even roll up. It's all part of a push to make patrols smarter and faster across the city. They kicked off drone use back in 2019 for traffic checks, SWAT ops, and post-heracane damage scans. But hitting active calls started just this past March of 2025 with a rooftop drone-hive setup. Three drones ready to launch from the department's roof. Folks in the department say it's boosting officer safety, big time, ramping up efficiency on high-priority felony-level calls, and even gathering, court-ready evidence. Only 40 officers are trained as pilots now, and they've deployed drones to over 860

1:00calls since launch, focusing on the series. Stuff. These drones zip-ed up to 46 mph, beat traffic easily, and pack thermal imaging for nightwork. They help with missing person searches, quick perimeter setups, and pair with hundreds of city cameras washed by analysts for extra eyes. Looking ahead, the team plans for more drone-hive city-wide over the next two years, growing the fleet past 20 units to cover even more ground, and keep responses sharp.