Drones could one day be deployed as part of a first responder effort to help Manteca Police in dealing more effectively with high-priority calls.

Numerous Bay Area cites from San Jose and Fremont to San Francisco use drones on selected high priority calls.

They have been praised for allowing officers to

*assess situations quicker.

*pursue safer and more effective pursuit of fleeing suspects.

*enhance public and office safety.

*have a bird-eye view in real time of what is happening on the ground.

Drones have been used for years by Manteca Police in high priority situations such as the May 2025 In-n-Out incident where an individual had rammed a vehicle in the drive-thru and was acting aggressively toward employees and other customers.

The drone, in that case, was deployed after officers had arrived on the scene.

It enabled officers to have an overall view of the incident scene and to see the individual who would not exit the truck up close without jeopardizing officer safety.

Based on how other cities use drones as part of a first responder endeavor, an officer operated the drone could have been “on the scene” first without being detected and able to guide ground units.

And whether they are first on scene or arrive shortly thereafter, they provide officers with “eyes” over a large area to shape a more effective — and often safer — police response.

The impact it can have on faster response times and more effective outcomes is underscored by Elk Grove Police stats from May through September 2024.

During that time period, first responder drones arrived on scene of high priority calls before officers 74 percent of the time.

They also allowed 24 percent of the calls to be quickly cleared.

Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed credited such drone use as a major factor in crime dropping 35 percent in the city.

Enhances safety &

“expands” manpower

Traditional grid searches looking for suspects can take hours and require a small army of personnel.

Drone-based grid searches can often take place in minutes or even seconds.

Tracking fleeing suspects — such as those leaving the scene of an active burglary or theft — using first responder drones have been cited by departments from San Jose to Fremont as a game changer.

Instead of simply blindly following suspects over fences and such, drones can direct officers to where suspects are heading.

Departments that use drones have strict policies on how and when they can be used.

In Manteca’s case, they may be put into use once an incident such as occurred at In-n-Out happens, for use in major accident investigations, special events such as street fairs, searching for missing persons, and helping direct officers trying to handle things such as packs of bicyclists taking over streets.

The highest profile use is arguably for illegal fireworks enforcement around the Fourth of July.

This past year, five drones paired with officers on the ground led to the issuance of 105 citations with more than two thirds attributed to the 23.5 hours of flight time using drones.

On one day alone, drones accounted for 61 of 96 citations.

The fines for illegal fireworks surpassed $130,000 last year.

Drones in Elk Grove allowed that southern Sacramento County to issue 300 citations at $1,000 a pop for $300,000 in fines.

Manteca’s drones

The Manteca Police Department currently has 14 drones in its fleet.

Some are general use while some are designed for indoor or confined space operations.

Two of the drones are able to be flown in inclement weather.

The department has 11 Federal Aviation Administration Part 107-certified drone pilots authorized to use and fly drones.

Last year, Manteca Police conducted nearly 600 individual flights.

Sgt. Ian Osborn noted the program has proven to be “an effective tool for improving situational awareness of officers.”

Osborn noted the department is always looking at ways to responsibly expand the drone program.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com