EVERTON. A sheriff's office in the region is beginning an evaluation of a new response protocol involving unmanned aircraft.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office has launched a pilot initiative designed to deploy semi-autonomous aerial vehicles to public safety incidents within its most active dispatch zones.
This initiative, titled Drone as First Responder, is intended to assess technology capable of providing immediate visual data to the agency prior to the physical arrival of deputies.
Sheriff Susanna Johnson stated in a press release that the goal is to equip emergency personnel with superior information more rapidly. She noted that the effort allows for the trial of an innovative tool while ensuring the program is constructed correctly.
The office has entered into a collaboration with Skydio, a California-based manufacturer, for a trial period without cost. Four aircraft have been positioned in the southern portion of the county, an area where the department receives its highest volume of service requests.
A sergeant supervising the drone unit, who has overseen the training of deputies for manual drone operations since 2019, indicated that this program represents a potential evolution in the application of such technology for policing.
The sergeant stated that he has consistently attempted to utilize technology to support patrol operations, make better informed decisions, and utilize more accurate information to essentially drive a better outcome for not just us as deputies, but the suspects that are involved, everyone.
Potential applications for this technology include active crimes, suspects attempting to evade capture, searches for missing persons, traffic incidents, rescue missions, or calls that may not be a priority when deputies are tied up elsewhere.
The Everett Police Department began using the DFR program in October of last year.
Dispatchers at Snohomish County 911 will be able to launch a drone to an address with the click of a button, sending the drone out in seconds and getting an idea of whats going on in minutes.
The sergeant stated that this represents a significant shift in the speed of deployment compared to current manual operations.
While the aircraft are capable of autonomous flight, certified pilots will be on duty to provide oversight and assume control during this initial phase.
Setup and testing began early this week, with the potential for the aircraft to respond to calls for service as soon as Tuesday. The pilot program is expected to continue through mid-October, giving the sheriff's office enough time to see its impact.
The agency intends to collect evidence to determine what benefits this type of program could bring.
Success will not be determined by metrics like a certain number of arrests or calls responded to. Instead, the sheriff's office will be looking for specific examples of the drones providing a benefit.
The sergeant noted that the ability to remotely fly an aircraft, launch it within 30 seconds and get on scene in two minutes to resolve a situation before a patrol deputy could respond would be classified as a significant success.
As testing gets underway, the sheriff's office is paying close attention to community privacy concerns.
Drone Operations Grow as Sheriff’s Office Prioritizes Transparency and Privacy
A county sheriff’s office has integrated drones into its public safety toolkit, with operations limited to active responses, such as 911 dispatches or scheduled missions, rather than routine surveillance. As soon as a drone launches, its camera activates automatically, and footage begins streaming without human intervention to select moments of capture.
Leadership emphasizes compliance with constitutional protections, particularly the Fourth Amendment. “We’re consistently trying to do the right thing with respect to the Fourth Amendment and the community’s privacy concerns because we understand this is a new technology, its an emerging technology,” explained a senior official in the department.
To bolster public trust, the agency recently launched an online Drone Unit Transparency Portal. This platform provides access to detailed flight logs, including timestamps, geographic coordinates, and the specific purpose behind each mission.
Drones in law enforcement remain in the early stages of adoption nationwide, according to officials. “Were trying to be very respectful and cognizant of that and share and be as transparent as possible with the public about what were using these tools for,” a department representative said.
The rollout is not intended to displace the current cadre of approximately 20 certified drone operators. Instead, the drones serve as a flexible enhancement, especially valuable in situations where human pilots may face limitations, such as prolonged operations, expansive search zones, or tasks beyond the capabilities of automated systems.
“Technology does not replace the men and women responding to emergencies every day,” Sheriff Johnson stated. “It gives them another tool, and another perspective, to help them do their jobs more safely and effectively.”
Earlier reporting noted that drone use in the region remains focused on supporting frontline responders rather than substituting for human judgment or presence.