PONTIAC, Mich. – What used to be an abandoned car dealership in Oakland County is now home to one of Michigan’s most advanced law enforcement tools -- a high-tech drone command center that’s transforming how deputies respond to emergencies and fight crime.
“We’re in an old car dealership, and our folks worked to build the walls and this space themselves because we didn’t have a specific budget for it,” said Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “They’ve done an amazing job, I think.”
Over the past year, the sheriff’s drone team has launched more than 380 missions. While some involve tracking criminal suspects, most of the deployments have nothing to do with crime at all.
“We go to more suicidal subjects out in the woods than I can even count at this point,” Bouchard said. “One in three are going to look for somebody in crisis.”
The program is called DFR -- or Drones as First Responders -- and its goal is simple: get eyes in the sky faster than deputies can get boots on the ground. That time savings can mean the difference between life and death or a suspect getting away from law enforcement.
“The idea is that the number one limiting factor for a successful aerial deployment is time,” said the drone unit’s commander, who remains anonymous for safety reasons. “We are 24/7. So, I always have my phone on, and if I’m not available, I’ll hand that duty off for the short term to somebody else.”
Out of 87 licensed drone pilots in the sheriff’s office, only 10 are certified for tactical missions. And some of the best pilots are not veteran deputies -- but younger recruits with more youthful experience on video game controllers.
“The best pilots usually started with an Xbox or PS5,” the unit commander said. “And it really shows you will have a lot of the more seasoned police officers learning from somebody that’s been on the job for two years.”
While teamwork and cross-generational training are key, everything comes back to two main things: safety and speed.
“The number one thing is time, time, time,” the air boss said.
A Game-Changer in the Field
During a high-risk standoff in Pontiac on November 2nd, 2023, a man accused of assault, torture, and home invasion had been hiding in the rafters of an apartment complex. Deputies used a compact indoor drone -- the first time it had ever been deployed in a real-world situation -- to safely locate and monitor the suspect.
“So, what happened was he opened the door visually, gave himself up, lifted his shirt, and then spun in 360 to show that he had no weapons on his waistband,” the commander recalled as he referenced the live video footage from the drone.
Since then, indoor drones have been used in eight other high-risk scenarios.
But outdoor missions still make up the bulk of the work -- and the most emotional ones. In one case, a suicidal man with a rope wandered deep into the woods, thinking he was alone.
“He’s got a rope in his hand, actively trying to figure out how to tie it around a tree so I can end my life,” the commander said.
The drone hovered above him, its camera feeding back live video as deputies moved in on foot.
“He’s going to kind of give us a shrug,” said the commander. “You can see the deputies got a very, come on man, what’s going on? It’s not guns drawn. It’s not confrontational. It’s you don’t need to do this.”
More Than Crime-Fighting
The drone unit has also helped track homicide suspects at night, assist fire crews during structure fires, and provide real-time video in car chases.
“When we started the program, a lot of people called us crackpots,” said the commander. “They thought this would never be possible.”
Two years later, drones can now be overhead on a scene in under three minutes. They’re launched automatically from a central computer and guided by licensed operators monitoring 911 calls.
“DFR means placing drones in fixed sites throughout a city that can then rapidly deploy to any 911 call at a second’s notice,” said the commander. “It’s a game of running against the clock. We must be there quickly or we’re not going to be able to help.”
What’s Next?
Right now, Oakland County’s drone program is only active in Pontiac. But the goal is to expand to all major patrol districts. The biggest obstacle is funding. Sheriff Bouchard said much of their drone and robotic equipment is aging and will need to be replaced relatively soon.
And while the technology is powerful, it’s also tightly regulated. Drones are only deployed in response to 911 calls. They’re not used for surveillance, and operators are prohibited from launching a drone without a legitimate emergency call.
