CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Police Department gave KRIS 6 News an inside look at how drones are changing the way officers approach dangerous and fast-moving situations.
From monitoring street racers to helping with standoffs, the department’s 32 drones have become a critical tool for officers in the field. Senior Officer Rick Reyes, CCPD’s lead UAS pilot, explained that drones are used to gather vital information without putting officers at immediate risk.
“Any time we can send a drone or a machine into a house or an unknown first, we are absolutely going to do that if it's available,” Reyes said.
The drones, equipped with both thermal and high-resolution color cameras, allow officers to identify threats, slow down tense situations, and create a plan of action.
“If there is someone inside that house, we can pinpoint it. We can slow everything down. There's no need to rush, usually, and then we can take our time, form a plan, and take care of business after that,” Reyes said.
One video captured by CCPD in November showed how drones can multitask. While covering a ribbon cutting ceremony, a drone pilot spotted a stolen vehicle nearby and alerted responding officers.
“One of our pilots was actually flying, getting footage of the ceremony itself,” Reyes said. “He was able to give a direct location for responding patrol. He was able to give specific location, vehicle description. I think he even got the license plate for them.”
CCPD has also deployed drones to monitor illegal street racing across the city. Reyes said the drones have been especially helpful in large parking lots and areas where vehicles are performing burnouts or doughnuts.
“We've been used in a couple of operations, specifically as over-watch, if we can identify vehicles that are perhaps racing or burning out and doing the circles in parking lots and stuff like that,” he said.
While some drones cost as little as $3,500, others run as high as $23,000. Reyes said most of the department’s drones aren't purchased with taxpayer dollars.
“A vast majority of our drones are actually purchased by private entities that is actually facilitated through our police foundation,” he said. “More of our drones are purchased that way than the actual city budget.”
Whether helping with surveillance or assisting in investigations, CCPD says their drone fleet is now one of the most valuable tools they have.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
