The prospect of the Watertown Police Department using a drone will be discussed at the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety on July 9.
The drone, which costs $49,396, would be dispatched to an area where a crime or incident like an auto accident is reported. It would be able to get anywhere in town in two minutes, which is faster than the typical response time for a police officer in a cruiser, Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan told the City Council in March.
The drone can fly automatically to a location, and can also be overridden and controlled manually. The drone would be dispatched from the Watertown 911 Center, and would not go out to every reported incident, Hanrahan said.
The name of the vendor is Paladin Drone, Hanrahan said.
The Council’s Committee on Public Safety will meet on Thursday, July 9 at 7 p.m. to discuss the Watertown Police Drone Program. The meeting will be in City Hall, 149 Main St., in the Lower Hearing Room and remote participation is also available. See the remote link and more information about the meeting here.