Inside Redmond PD’s live DFR operation with Chief Lowe

Synopsis

Join Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe for an exclusive walkthrough of their live DFR deployment in Redmond, Washington. In this video, Chief Lowe takes us inside their Flight Control Center—home to dual pilot stations capable of flying simultaneously—and up to the rooftop docks that launch drones in response to real-time 911 calls across the city.

Redmond PD’s DFR platform integrates directly with dispatch, enabling near-instant response to calls for service. In one case, they had a drone overhead in under 45 seconds in a report of an auto burglary. The result? A false alarm, identified safely from the air—allowing the responding officer to slow down and change their response.

Thanks to drone overwatch, around 25% of calls no longer require ground response. The benefits extend well beyond efficiency. Redmond is also using DFR to support Fire Department calls, providing thermal views to identify hotspots and keep firefighters safer.

Looking ahead, Redmond plans to scale from a few docks to a full citywide network—enabling persistent aerial awareness and transparency, including a public dashboard showing where and why each drone flies.

This is what operational DFR looks like—and it’s changing the game.