Officers typically use drones after a crime has happened, but one department in southern California is changing that.
Real-time video from those drones are now protecting citizens and officers before first responders arrive.
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The Federal Aviation Administration granted the first-ever authorization for police to fly a drone beyond the line of sight.
Now, the Chula Vista Police Department has a 40-mile radius to fly, with a zooming function of two miles.
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Authorities say street crime has dramatically dropped since they started using this method last October.