Arlington County

Arlington Considers Drones to Enforce Traffic Laws, Assist Police and Fire Depts.

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Drones could be used to help the Arlington County police and fire departments with everything from public safety to studying traffic patterns.

For example, police say they were looking for someone in a parking garage and they couldn’t find that person until the drone came up to a certain floor and found them. The same could be true for a fire department looking for a hot spot in a tall building.

“They are fantastic addition to any fleet,” Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz said. “We want to make sure we address the privacy concerns, which have been, I think, successfully handled in other jurisdictions, but we absolutely in many cases would prefer not just for fire, but for police and also our building inspections to have the ability to have drones.”

Similar programs are already in place in Montgomery and Fairfax counties.

More automated speed and red light cameras are being prepared for Arlington County streets as well.

Arlington County says all of those devices could help police function more efficiently, especially with recent challenges recruiting and retaining officers.

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