JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The next time someone dials 911 in Jacksonville, the first to arrive on scene might not be a patrol car or a police officer — it might be a drone.
It might look like something from a sci-fi movie, but drones are helping police the city, showing up at scenes before patrol officers to help track down suspects, find missing people and pinpoint evidence.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office drones are capable of reaching a call and arriving on location within 40 to 60 seconds, well ahead of any responding officer. JSO said it has had two of these drones in operation for the last month.
Sheriff T.K. Waters says the technology is not meant to replace the officers on the force.
“This doesn’t replace officers. It gives them better information to make more informed decisions. Another tool in our big toolbox. And I’m just very excited about it,” Waters said.
What the drones offer is critical information that can help officers as they respond to evolving and sometimes dangerous situations.
The idea behind first-responder drones is that they can stream live footage back to officers, who can quickly assess whether a suspect has fled, whether anyone needs medical attention, and how best to approach the situation before arriving.
What did it cost?
The pilot program has been active for one month and has already responded to more than 200 calls.
JSO also has plans to expand its “Eagle Eye” drone program. JSO already has about 30 of these drones and plans to add double that, thanks to approximately $610,000 in state funding. Unlike the first responder drones, these drones are usually deployed by officers already at scenes. The first responder drones are operated by someone posted at JSO headquarters.
According to a report from Florida Politics, the funding was prioritized in the 2026 session by Sen. Clay Yarborough and House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan.
The funding request filed by Yarborough explained that the drones are deployed from patrol vehicles. It included $87,000 for a fixed-wing mapping drone, and $523,000 for 10 external drones, 25 interior drones, batteries and drone maintenance.
“Internal drones will be deployed in enclosed spaces to assess the safety of a structure while external drones can be used in open-air settings for missing persons and post-disaster,” the funding request said.
The fixed-wing drone is specifically for helping in missing persons cases, according to the funding request.
Addressing privacy concerns
With any drone program, questions about privacy are inevitable. When asked to address those concerns directly, Waters was candid.
“People fly drones all over the place where they shouldn’t fly them. It’s not even the police. We’re not gonna use them for that purpose. And if I find out, if we find out they’re being used wrong, nefariously, then we’re gonna deal with the individuals that are doing it. We have policies in place to make sure that the rules and the laws are followed,” Waters said.
JSO says officer and community safety, as well as reducing criminal activity, are the top priorities of the program. Waters also assured the public that safeguards are in place to protect residents’ privacy.