La Mesa police looking add drones to their crime-fighting toolbox

Oktoberfest, the weekly farmers market and other large gatherings and major events in La Mesa could be prime times for police to use a drone — a first responder program city leaders would like to get off the ground.

According to La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney’s grant application, the program would strengthen situation awareness at large events by detecting emerging issues.

“I’m down with that,” said resident Kim Herrera. “To keep an eye on folks that get a little cray-cray and have a little drink-drink.”

City councilmembers recently approved the police department’s application to apply for the $2 million federal grant through Rep. Sara Jacob’s office, to start the Drone as First Responder program. It would also include a real-time crime center to monitor feeds and coordinate police responses in the field.

“I think it’s fantastic,” said La Mesa Councilmember Genevieve Suzuki. “It’s increasing our reach as far as public safety goes. We really have to make sure that our citizens are safe, and our police department is very responsive to, you know, emergencies and dangers.”

The program would shorten response times, confirm descriptions and direction of travel, as well as improve decision making during crimes in progress, according to the police chief’s grant application.

“If it’s for safety thing in a larger event, so forth that works,” said La Mesa resident Jaime Salazar.

While Salazar appreciates the added level of safety, he and others have that age-old concern.

“I’m a bit of a privacy guy,” said Salazar.

“Our privacy is being encroached upon little by little,” said Desmond Collins from La Mesa.  

Councilmember Suzuki said those concerns have been taken into consideration.

“The cameras, when the drone is flying, they will be facing on the horizon, not toward anything else, so that they’re not infringing or interfering in someone’s privacy.”

“Come on! Who’s going to verify that? I hear what you’re saying, that’s a nice, pretty picture. I don’t believe that for one second, I don’t,” exclaimed Collins.

Oceanside police and Chula Vista police already use drones as first responders. The La Mesa Police Department uses drones, but they’re not first responders. That’s because they’re driven to a scene in a squad car, then have to be taken out and launched.

A drone as a first responder saves time because it’s launched from the roof of the police station and flies immediately to the crime scene or brush fire, providing an eye from the sky.

The city expects to get notified if they win the grant sometime around July. The pilot program would run from around October through September of 2027.