Drone as First Responder Programs: Evaluating Challenges and Opportunities

Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs represent a significant technological innovation in policing, offering the potential to transform emergency response and improve service delivery. However, despite growing interest and adoption, there remains limited empirical evidence on the impact of DFR on crime, response times, officer safety, and investigations. This panel features leaders from four agencies actively engaged in an independent evaluation of their DFR programs--Kansas City, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, and Colorado Springs--along with the evaluation team lead from Ohio State University, who will serve as moderator. Panelists will share practical insights into operational considerations, challenges, and lessons learned in developing rigorous approaches to assessing DFR effectiveness to help guide policy and practice.

• Define key metrics that can be used to assess DFR program impact and effectiveness.
• Describe the common challenges agencies and research partners face in balancing operational realities with rigorous evaluation needs.
• Assess their own agency's readiness for evaluating the impact of DFR.