The Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County (POALAC) has honored the Beverly Hills Police Department’s (BHPD) Drone Team with the 2024 Centurion Award for Excellence in Innovation. The award recognizes the BHPD’s achievements in utilizing drone technology to enhance public safety and modernize law enforcement practices.
Under the leadership of Chief Mark G. Stainbrook and Lt. Todd Withers, the BHPD Drone Team has demonstrated both creativity and efficiency in incorporating drones into their daily operations. Their Drone as First Responder (DFR) Program, officially launched in 2021, has become a model of excellence, with proactive drone flights that support patrol operations, responding to incidents faster and more effectively than traditional methods. To date, the program has completed over 13,000 flights, with more than 6,000 of those being first on the scene.
The success of BHPD’s drone program is attributed to its innovative approach, which includes three levels of drone deployment: the DFR Program, Rapid Deployment Drones for tactical support, and small Interior Drones for building and vehicle searches. This technology has played a pivotal role in safely resolving critical situations, including the apprehension of violent criminals and de-escalation of potentially dangerous incidents.
