PUBLIC SAFETY: MBPD will launch first responder drone program

by Mark McDermott From high above, the man could be seen running down a sidewalk in Hawthorne. He hangs a fast left into an alley, then jumps a backyard fence. A dog trots along the side of the house and greets him, because it’s the man’s own home, but he doesn’t pause. Instead, he drops to the ground and quickly digs a hole, into which he drops a gun. The video was shot by a first responder drone operated by the Hawthorne Police Department, and enabled officers both to f