NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — When racing to an emergency, time is of the essence.
In Newport News, Police Chief Steve Drew said it takes an officer an average of five minutes to respond to a scene. However, Drew wants to bring in a new technology to help cut that response time in half.
During Newport News City's Work Session on May 9, Drew presented to council members his department's initiative to bring in drones with advanced technology.
The police department, like a few others in Hampton Roads, already has a drone unit. However, they've never used drones as a first response, even before officers arrive on a scene.
The police chief told city council members the drone could respond to a scene within two minutes, cutting the average response time by more than half.
"Two-minute response times versus five-minute response times? That could save lives," said Councilman John Eley, III, who listened to Chief Drew's presentation Tuesday. "What we're looking at now is using these drones in different instances. So, if there's a crime happening, our drones will be dispatched to that crime before our personnel gets there to observe the scene."
Eley said Drew told council members police would monitor the drone footage from the station and be able to tell officers on the way to the scene what is happening, so they can strategize how to best respond.
Eley, who is a former Newport News School board member, said this would be vital in response to school emergencies.
"It makes me feel better," said Eley. "I'm so excited about all the technology to help with our school systems. What Newport News is doing is taking the responsibility and initiative to keep our teachers, our staff members, our students safe, and to make sure Newport News is a safe city overall."
A couple of people in the community told 13News Now they are interested in the proposal, but they worry about a lack of privacy or use of video.
It's one of the first things Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany, III, who likes the idea of the advanced drones, said he plans to address with the police department.
"Of course, it's not just going to happen without being vetted," said Bethany. "If I had a top three things to figure out before it's even launched, privacy is top three."
Councilman Eley said he and other city council members are waiting to hear more from the police chief to see how they could properly allocate funding to get these drones, if they vote to approve the program.