El Cajon police calls drone first responders 'game changer'

EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The skies above El Cajon have been a little busier lately as drone first responders start to come into their own.

On Monday, there were two calls at the same time and the El Cajon Police Department was able to stop a crime and confirm a warehouse, two critical incidents both with eyes on in less than five minutes.

“It’s a game changer,” said Lt. Joe Crawford from the El Cajon Police Department.

Crawford says the newest technology does more than just passively watch during a crime, it starts building the case against a suspect.

“When people hear the sirens coming, they tend to run away. This way we can get on scene and start getting video evidence while officers are still responding, and then directing those officers to the suspects that are trying to flee,” Crawford said.

In one case, a suspect allegedly swiped a pair of Vans, not a high priority, but a crime none the less, and leave it to the drone to get there when other officers are tied up.

“The suspect had brand new Vans, was trying them on, so the pilot relayed that information, so they went and contacted this person where we were able to confirm he was the suspect,” Crawford said.

The fire in La Mesa also launched extra fire units to assist in the surround and drowned mission in this warehouse.

But many times, where there is smoke, it’s not necessarily a fire, with the drone cutting back on unnecessary responses to wild goose chase emergency calls.

El Cajon says so far the drone first responders have already had a huge impact.

“It’s really just about accessing what resources are needed and then making those decisions in real time,” Crawford said.