Officers in southern California using real-time drone video to reduce crime

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Friday, April 12, 2019
Officers in southern California using real-time drone video to reduce crime
Officers in southern California using real-time drone video to reduce crime. Brian Taff reports during Action News at 4 p.m. on April 12, 2019.

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.

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.

Authorities say street crime has dramatically dropped since they started using this method last October.