LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) is revolutionizing emergency response with an expanded drone program that aims to get officers real-time information before they arrive on scene.
WATCH | Check out LVMPD's eyes in the sky
The department flew at least 10,000 drone missions in 2025, and that number could double with LVMPD now averaging 1,700 flights per month.
"We're going to be bigger and better than ever before," an official said.
The improvements center around a new state-of-the-art drone operation center that represents a major advancement in the department's capabilities.
"This is the point where the future of policing moves from expectation to daily operation," an official said.
The expansion is part of the department's Fusion Watch program. The space inside LVMPD headquarters features training simulators for pilots, a repair area, and dozens of staff monitoring computer screens that track drones in action.
"Calls for service are 24/7, right? Folks need us. We need to handle burglaries or looking for potential suspects around those areas or on hot calls," an official said.
The drones can launch from their docks and reach a call for service in less than 2 minutes within roughly a 2-mile radius of their launch site.
Currently, the drones operate during day and swing shifts, but the department plans to expand to 24/7 operations.
"We have those eyes in the sky, if you will, the drone able to see what's going on, relay that information first to the officers on the scene and the supervisors taking command and control of those scenes and make sure that everybody comes out of there safely," an official said.
This isn't the first time Channel 13 has visited Metro's law enforcement facilities.
Last December, we took you behind the scenes of LVMPD's 110-thousand-square-foot Joint Emergency Training Unit, where we were put to the test and trained like officers.
WATCH | A rare look inside Metro's training facility
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
