Deploying technology
A few simple questions guide our investments in technology:
- Will the technology improve the safety of our Officers?
- Will the technology extend the reach and sight of our Officers?
- Will technology allow us to solve more crimes?
When one of these questions is a resounding yes, we invest.
Here are a few examples of our technology in action.
Drones for Law Enforcement
The City of Fremont is the first city in the country to have a joint public safety Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, the result of a longstanding collaboration between Police and Fire. The use of this technology will increase public safety and reduce risk to first responders.
Our drone fleet currently consists of 13 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which have been deployed over 2,750 times since April 2020.
As you might suspect, we don’t need to recruit sign-ups for drone training. Our team of 22 officers, 4 CSOs, 2 Sergeants, 1 Lieutenant, and 1 Captain have all undergone a rigorous 50+ hour training process and passed the PART 107 FAA test.
Rather than show off the specifications of this equipment, consider their impact on everyday life (especially to Officer and community safety).
On one particularly memorable patrol call for new Officer Veronica Castro, the Drone Unit assisted with a residential burglary response. The suspect was still inside the house and likely had a weapon. With eyes in the sky, the Drone Unit was able to alert all Officers on the scene exactly when the suspect left the house and started jumping fences, giving a play-by-play in real-time. They even were able to tell when he pulled out a gun.
The extra warning to the team on the ground made all the difference and the suspect was taken into custody with no one harmed. Officer Castro joined the Drone Unit as soon as her probation period was up as a new Officer.
With advancements to our drones including nighttime vision, extended zoom and thermal capabilities, and waterproof technology, the Drone Unit averages about 10-15 arrest assists per year.
A number that is only going up, just like our drones.
Our Body-worn Cameras and In-car Camera Systems for Gathering Evidence
We recently invested in a system from Axon that brings together body-worn cameras and panoramic in-car cameras in one integrated video system.
Another Officer favorite is the automated license plate reader (ALPR) installed on patrol vehicles that can scan and run license plates automatically — no hands needed.
In these cases, the technology is a huge asset in collecting evidence ranging from witness statements to time stamps of a crime.
It’s all about helping the Officer and protecting the community.
Electric Vehicle for Patrol
You’re looking at zero-emission patrol vehicles.
We were the first police department in the country to customize a used Tesla Model S and now a Tesla Model Y into fully deployable patrol vehicles (now cruising the streets of Fremont).
These are not trophy vehicles.
Our Electric Patrol Vehicle Pilot Program is part of the Citywide green initiative to shape a more sustainable community. The Fremont Police vehicle fleet is responsible for a total of 980 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. We want to change this, and our EV patrol initiative has potential to eliminate 10% of the City’s greenhouse gas emissions.
One final point —
After crunching the numbers, it is estimated that the Tesla is actually lower in cost than the traditional Ford combustion engine vehicle based on 90,000 miles over a 5-year period. The Tesla Model Y provides the additional benefit of more range (316 miles) and faster acceleration (4.8 seconds from 0 to 60 miles per hour).
We’ve stored the purchase order for the first Telsa patrol car just in case the Smithsonian comes calling.
Combatting Organized Retail Theft Crimes
We are sworn to protect the entire community, including our beloved local businesses. To this end, the Fremont City Council approved $2.5 million in grant funding in November 2023 to the Fremont Police Department from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) for Organized Retail Theft prevention.
This grant will allow us to enhance our deployed technology in the name of advancing intelligence-led and data-driven methods to prevent and reduce these crimes. FPD will leverage a wide range of integrated technologies, such as community cameras, automated license plate reader (ALPR) data, and CAD/RMS to enhance officer response and develop investigative leads.
Once complete, the RTIC will provide invaluable intelligence to officers in the field to improve safety and mitigate crime.
The Future of Technology for Law Enforcement
As part of Silicon Valley, we have a front-row seat to a never-ending stream of inventions.
We’ll continue to evaluate and invest in technologies for law enforcement.
But we’ll never lose sight that our work starts and ends with people, our Officers, and the community we serve.
