Calif. PD gets drone service through $10K grant

By Michael Hixon
The Beach Reporter

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. — The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department will use a $10,000 grant to pay for a drone service that, officials say, will improve various agency operations, such as searching for suspects or performing traffic studies.

The grant comes from the Palos Verdes Estates Foundation and will cover the cost of a one-year contract with private drone company Flying Lion. The contract essentially represents a pilot program, said police Capt. Luke Hellinga, since city officials would have to determine whether to continue the drone service once the one year is up — and, if so, from where the funding would come.

“Our department will be able to enhance the capabilities,” Police Chief Tony Best said at a recent City Council meeting, “to conduct cliff rescues, search operations for both suspects and missing persons, conduct training, increase our capacity for disaster response and to conduct traffic related studies.”

FULL STORY: Palos Verdes Estates police get drone service through grant