What's That Drone? Check Cincinnati Police Flights Near You

The Rise of Drones in Cincinnati's Police Force

When a Cincinnati police drone is flying overhead, whether during the day or night, it's often unclear what the drone is responding to. These flights are part of the Cincinnati Police Department's new $4.8 million "drones as first responders" program, which has quickly become a key component of the city’s emergency response since its launch in late July.

The drones are equipped with high-quality zoom and thermal cameras, and they are always recording. A Cincinnati police officer remotely pilots the drone from the department's command center, allowing for real-time monitoring and response.

How the Program Works

An Enquirer review of more than 4,000 flights found that drones have helped officers apprehend suspects, been the first on the scene of shootings, and performed aerial patrols across neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine.

Generally, there are few restrictions on police drones when it comes to citizens' privacy, according to Beryl Lipton, a senior researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. However, a proposed bill in the Ohio Statehouse would add requirements for police to get warrants for some flights, such as when observing the inside of a home through a window.

Cincinnati police publish the flight paths of their drones online a day after takeoff. However, there is no immediate information about the purpose of each flight. Using The Enquirer's interactive "What's That Drone?" tool, you can learn more about Cincinnati police drone flights near your address.

Understanding the Data

The data refreshes daily with the previous days' flights, excluding weekends and holidays. Since the program launched on July 28, The Enquirer has downloaded all of the flights by the Cincinnati Police Department. By combining the database of flight paths with a database of calls police have responded to, The Enquirer's tool is able to approximate the call for service the drone responded to on a particular day and time in a particular location.

Simply put, if a drone responds to an area where there is only one call for service at a specific time on a specific day, the tool extrapolates that is the call the department was responding to. Not all flights are matched with calls. Sometimes, during busy hours, there could be multiple calls in one location, making it difficult to pinpoint which call the drone was responding to.

Why Are Drones Being Used?

Cincinnati police are using drones across the city for a variety of reasons. The department is the first in Ohio and among a growing number nationwide to turn toward drones as first responders. The program has relieved officers from responding to dozens of calls since it began, including mundane issues that take up officers’ time with few results. Examples include suspicious people who are gone by the time an officer arrives, a traffic hazard that was overstated, or a 911 hang-up from a “butt dial.”

The drone squad has also responded to high-priority calls, such as reported shootings, suspect chases, and mental health crises. Most of these flights have been in response to calls in the urban core of Over-the-Rhine and Downtown, as well as West Side neighborhoods.