The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is expanding its use of drones amid a continuing shortage of sworn officers, aiming to improve response times and operational efficiency. This week, the department is formalizing its drone program and doubling its fleet from 13 to 26 unmanned, electric aircraft.

Since launching a pilot program in July 2025, the LAPD has increasingly deployed drones—small, quad-rotor crafts equipped with video cameras and infrared night vision—as supplemental tools alongside the department’s traditional helicopter units. Controlled remotely by FAA-certified officers from the department’s headquarters, the drones have been used to respond to emergency calls, provide situational awareness, and assist in operations across the city.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the drones serve as “force multipliers” for the department, especially given staff shortages that have strained officer availability. “To be able to decrease our response time to emergency calls for service, and to be able to use it as a force multiplier for a very lean department, that is very important,” McDonnell stated. The drones have proven useful in a range of scenarios, including crowd monitoring at major events like the World Cup and aiding in rapid resolution of crimes.

In 2025, the drones were dispatched more than 3,000 times, primarily to requests from officers or emergency incidents, according to an LAPD report presented to the Police Commission earlier this year. The craft typically launch from rooftops around Los Angeles and can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, enabling swift arrival at scenes ahead of patrol units. The chief noted that drones arrive first in about 73% of cases in which they are deployed. Additionally, in around 11% of these instances, the footage and information collected by drones lead to a decision that no officer response is necessary.

The drones have been used in various critical situations such as homicides, kidnappings, burglaries, and public safety operations. Video shared by the department highlighted an incident in early July where a drone located a five-year-old child who had wandered dangerously close to traffic, facilitating a quick police rescue.

Looking ahead, the LAPD plans to expand drone use to monitor street takeovers and conduct anti-fireworks operations during holiday periods including the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. The move is part of a broader strategy to deploy technology to manage public safety challenges amid resource constraints.