News Releases

Montgomery County Department of Police Announces Drone as First Responder Program

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Gaithersburg, MD - The Montgomery County Department of Police has begun the Drone as First Responder Program.  

 

Designed to enhance emergency response capabilities, this program introduces an unmanned aircraft, with the call sign Raven, to provide critical support to the department and better serve the residents of Montgomery County.

The Drone as First Responder program leverages Raven's capabilities to reach the scene of a call for service, either before or in conjunction with patrol officers. This innovative approach aims to revolutionize emergency response by offering a real-time aerial perspective and strategic insights.

Raven's operational objectives include:

• Assisting in the assessment of scenes and circumstances before officers arrive.
• Providing essential tactical information and situational awareness to enhance response safety.
• Contributing to the de-escalation of situations and improvement of overall response times.
• Addressing staffing shortages and assisting public safety efforts.

Raven played a pivotal role in the recent apprehension of a 31-year-old repeat shoplifter.

The suspect had targeted a CVS Pharmacy in the 9500 block of Georgia Avenue and stolen items from the store on multiple occasions. He was able to leave the store before patrol officers responded.

On Wednesday, November 15, 3rd District officers responded to a shoplifting call at the Georgia Avenue CVS around 12:33 p.m.

The suspect managed to leave the store before officers arrived. Raven was deployed and observed the suspect leaving the area of the store and getting on a Metro bus.  The drone tracked the bus's route, giving officers the location.

At the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, officers stopped the Metro bus at 12:50 p.m., taking him into custody. Charges are pending for the November 15 case and the investigation into previous shoplifting cases is ongoing.

For more information on the program, and to view Raven flight maps, please visit Drone as First Responder Program, Department of Police, Montgomery County, MD (montgomerycountymd.gov)

 

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Release ID: 23-672
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: arrest