Colorado Springs Police unveil new technology expected to improve response times

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - From an extra eye in the sky to better communication on the ground, new technology is anticipated to assist local police in their day-to-day operations.

Today, Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Chief Adrian Vasquez, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, and Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) Deputy Chief Tim De Leon expanded their use of new technology, including drones deployed throughout the city.

Local leaders were joined by the National Director of Axon, widely known for their body-worn cameras (BWC), and a representative from Skydio. Skydio creates drones for law enforcement and the Department of Defense (DOD). The idea behind the drones is to use them as first responders, an extra eye in the sky that can get to a scene ahead of officers on the ground.

CSPD says the new technology tools and initiatives will improve communication, accelerate emergency response and enhance investigative capabilities, while maintaining transparency, strict safeguards and accountability.

Many of the leaders in attendance condemned bills moving through the state legislature that would limit law enforcement's ability to use surveillance technology. Later in the press conference, Mayor Mobolade explained that over the phone, Governor Jared Polis told him he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk. It's unclear if he was speaking about SB26-070 or SB26-071.

KRDO13 received a behind-the-scenes look at how new technologies are being integrated into the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) and other locations around the city, and saw one of CSPD's new Skydio X10 drones take off and fly.

One of the new technologies CSPD is expected to share is Axon BWC Translate and Axon language translation. According to Axon, this technology audibly translates speech within seconds.

Colorado State Patrol (CSP) uses drone technology to get a better idea of what the scene of an accident looks like. The Denver Police Department has also reportedly incorporated similar Skydio X10 drones.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), if access to a restricted or controlled airspace is required when drones are being operated as first responders in a complex operation, operators likely need to request airspace authorization through the FAA DroneZone portal. Restricted airspace in Colorado Springs includes the Colorado Springs Airport and Fort Carson.

Deputy Chief John Koch tells KRDO13 that in the past 24 hours, they've been using all seven of the drones, they've been able to send them out on six to eight 911 calls an hour, helping the department to be more efficient with an extra eye in the sky.

You can find a map of where the seven drones are currently operating around the city here. 

"These drones allow us to respond to public safety emergencies much faster than ground units, letting our officers see in real time what they're responding to before they arrive," explained CSPD Chief Adrian Vazquez.

They're controlled in the RTCC, where officers have access to the 911 calls, a live feed from the drone and license plate reading technology, also known as ALPR. Police use all of these elements together to respond. 

"The other night, we had an elderly gentleman who had dementia who was lost," shared Chief Vasquez.

Officers sent a drone and found his heat signature. This allowed them to get him back home safe.

There have been concerns about the use of law enforcement drones potentially infringing on privacy, raised by the group American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado. However, the department says it is aware of those concerns and wants to be as transparent as possible.

"This is a publicly transparent program, and I think it's really important for the community to understand that this website is an example. We want you to know and understand what we are doing as a police department," said Deputy Chief John Koch.

Here you can find what flights the drones were sent on and the guidelines the department follows. 

Leadership from CSFD also noted how this will assist its department in locating where fires have started to better respond.

New body-worn cameras also do translations in real time with 50 languages. 

"What we would do prior to having this feature, if I encountered a Spanish-speaking person in the community, and they were Spanish-speaking only, I had one of a couple of options. So one is I would get on the radio and request a Spanish-speaking officer. That can take a lot of time. 20 minutes, 15 minutes, wherever they can find that Spanish-speaking officer to come to where I'm at. And there are times when there isn't a Spanish-speaking officer available," explained Lt. James Allen.

He said if there wasn't a Spanish-speaking officer available, they would call another translation line, which was helpful, but it took longer than the instant live translation they are using now. They also hope that this helps to build trust with people in the community who speak other languages.

Officers tell us this is just an asset to their team with this cutting-edge technology, but they say the tech does not replace good policing. 

Police say that altogether this costs $4.5 million, but explained that it is complicated and they were able to shift the money around by streamlining this program all into one, so they say there are no additional costs. 

"We didn't spend more money. What we did was take our existing funding, and we were smart in how to rearrange it in a way that maximizes our effectiveness. So we've been doing that across the entire organization. And what you witnessed today is what it shows up with our police department," explained Mayor Mobolade.

Mayor Mobolade also noted how this new technology will help to improve safety in the city, thanks to collaboration from local leaders.

"This is what focused leadership looks like. This is what progress looks like, and this is how we make Colorado Springs one of the safest cities in America. And this is how we will build a city of great neighbors and great neighborhoods. And today we are one step closer to that vision," shared Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

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