Brea schools start up again on Aug.14 and something I bet will be really popular at Brea Olinda High is the new drone program. It is in conjunction with Fullerton College and junior and senior students who complete the course can earn up to 12 units of college credit.
Who knows, maybe some of the students will choose to pursue careers in the Brea Police Department.
I became interested in the police drone program when Chief Adam Hawley spoke about it at a recent Brea Chamber of Commerce breakfast. I wanted to learn more, and I did.
As in several California cities, the Brea Police Department now uses drones. Brea’s program went live in July 2024 with small Field Deployed Drones, or trunk drones.
Pilot-trained officers carry trunk drones in their police cars. They have powerful cameras and thermal sensors and can be equipped with spotlights and loudspeakers. Other officers can access the drone’s output via their cell phones or computers.
It makes it easier to catch taggers, sometimes in the act, or retail thieves walking off with bags in hand.
Brea’s police also have use of smaller, indoor First Person View drones. They are used for clearing indoor locations without putting the officers and K9s in possible danger, explained Professional Standards Lieutenant Christopher Haddad.
But the crème de la crème of the program is the Drone as a First Responder or DFR. It came into service in June. The drone can get to an incident faster than a patrol car, transmit the scene to officers who then have more information on the call and what else is needed. Maybe EMTs or the fire department need to be called, too.
There are usually two officers working with a drone between detectives and patrol, said Haddad.
The DFR is larger than most drones we’ve seen, and is launched from the roof of Brea’s Civic and Cultural Center. The DFR has a special launch pad and is remotely controlled by a police officer in an office below. A rooftop observer from Flying Lion, a DFR service provider for law enforcement and municipalities, monitors it.
“His job is to launch the drone, change batteries and act as the visual observers, as required by the FAA,” said Haddad.
The DFR was the first responder to the fire by the 57 Freeway a few weeks ago.
I know, you are wondering what is the cost for this drone program and who is footing the bill? Haddad explained that the entire program is funded through a $5.9 million grant the Brea PD received for its Integrated Crime Center, a real state-of-the-art computerized system that Chief Hawley went after and got. The grant is from the California Board of State and Community Corrections.
If you are worried that the police drones will be peeking in your windows or scoping out your backyard, according to Haddad and the department’s policy manual that’s available online, drones won’t be snooping in your windows or yards, unless they have a warrant or exigent circumstances.
Haddad also explained that the drones are only deployed for training, calls for service or for a special operation. They do not perform random surveillance flights or target certain individuals based such things as race, sex, age, cultural group or other characteristics or beliefs. The drones also cannot be used for personal business by the police.
On the department’s website, you can view drone flights that have to be retained for a minimum of 72 hours. Check it out.
Are the drones helping fight crime in Brea? According to Chief Hawley, crime in Brea is down 11%. Nabbing DUIs, however, is up 60%.
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at daxoncomm@gmail.com.