Newport Beach is significantly expanding its police drone program after officers deployed drones 912 times during a recent three-month period. The aircraft reached scenes before officers nearly 65 percent of the time, giving police an aerial view of incidents before personnel arrived. The City Council has approved an expansion involving Skydio drone technology and the department’s existing Axon systems, with the contract amendment estimated at nearly $752,000 in its first year. Over the remaining six years of the agreement, the additional cost is expected to exceed $4.5 million. The expansion illustrates how rapidly drones are moving from specialized police equipment toward becoming a routine part of emergency response.

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