ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) —The Albany Police Department (APD) is preparing to launch its drone first responder program.

The initiative allows APD to deploy drones to an incident, giving officers an aerial view before they arrive on scene. Equipped with zoom capabilities and thermal imaging, the drones provide real-time situational awareness and help locate individuals.

How the program works

APD Investigator Lt. Kalandria Peterson said the drones will reduce response delays.

“When we have shootings, when we have a robbery, we’re not having to wait in traffic. We don’t have to wait in the red light. You know, it’s pretty much get that drone out of the air, get it up in the air, get it on scene and start relaying information,” Peterson said.

The department will use nine stationary drone pods positioned across the city, along with mobile units that officers can launch in the field for missing persons, barricaded subjects and other critical incidents.

The stationary units are operated exclusively from the Real-Time Crime Center and can cover roughly 85% of Albany. The remaining 15% is restricted due to airport airspace.

Addressing privacy concerns

Albany Police said the technology will only deploy for active emergency calls, not neighborhood surveillance. Officials said the drones fly autonomously toward calls with cameras fixed on the horizon to avoid capturing private property along the route.

“I think the big misconception that’s going to be is they’re spying on me. And that is not the case,” said David Sparks, senior crime and intelligence analyst for the Albany Police Department. “We will not launch the drone unless we have a legitimate call for service, which results in a record of how we fly.”

Sparks said APD will also conduct routine audits to ensure the drones are used appropriately.

“We are working on how much data we want to push out to the public as far as their ability to see what we’re doing, how we’re doing it. I think we’re at a point where you’ll see the flights, the flight paths, the times, and the reasons. You just won’t have access to the footage unless you did an open records request,” Sparks said.

Licensing requirements

Sparks recently passed his FAA exam. Once he receives his official remote pilot license, the program will officially launch. He says every officer operating the drones will be fully licensed.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.