MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Murfreesboro police are pushing back on concerns that an expansion of the department’s drone technology is a step toward using autonomous drones as first responders.
WATCH: Murfreesboro police address concerns over expanding drone technology
The Murfreesboro City Council is set to consider an amendment Thursday night that would allow the police department to purchase additional DroneSense software licenses. The department recently expanded its drone fleet from six to eight drones.
Police Chief Michael Bowen said all of the department’s drones are currently operated manually by pilots in the field.
“All our drones are used manually, so you have an operator in the field,” Bowen said.
DroneSense software allows authorized personnel to view drone footage from cellphones, desktop computers and the city’s emergency operations system, according to Bryan Anderson, uniform division captain over traffic and special services.
Bowen initially planned to include an integration component in the amendment that he said would allow drone footage to be viewed more easily in the department’s Real Time Crime Center without switching between separate systems.
“Having to toggle back between two different systems might not be optimal, so that gives the ability to look at one format and view everything from there,” Bowen said.
The department issued an “accuracy alert” ahead of Thursday’s council meeting after concerns circulated on social media that DroneSense was being integrated with Murfreesboro’s existing Flock camera network.
Bowen said DroneSense and Flock are not currently connected.
Some community members have raised a broader concern that expanding and integrating the technology could lay the groundwork for a future Drones as First Responder program, which could allow drones to be dispatched to emergency calls.
Bowen acknowledged the department has evaluated different programs but said Murfreesboro police have not proposed or requested funding for a Drones as First Responder program.
“All we have done is looked and evaluate different programs, but in no way we’re making a proposal to start a program,” Bowen said. “We haven’t asked for funding of a program.”
Bowen said he now plans to present the amendment to City Council without the integration component, leaving the request focused on the additional software licenses.
The chief said the department understands technology is evolving quickly and that police have a responsibility to listen to residents’ concerns while establishing policies governing how new technology is used.
“What we have to do is be responsible about to our citizens, listening to their concerns and putting good policies in place,” Bowen said.
City Council could still make changes to the amendment during Thursday night’s meeting or reject it.
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