The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., unveiled a new police helicopter and drones as part of its fight against crime in the capital city.

The police department announced the new Falcon 1 helicopter, alongside a new drone program Monday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Pamela Smith unveiled the new initiatives at an event, and touted the success of the Real-Time Crime Center, which opened in April.

“We know that MPD’s Air Support Unit plays an important role in driving down crime and keeping our community safe, and these upgrades are going to support that work,” Bowser said Monday.

“We have already seen success with the Real-Time Crime Center, and this is one more way to leverage new technology to protect officers, keep DC safe, and drive down crime,” Bowser added.

The drones will be used to search for missing persons, crowd management, traffic crash reconstruction, and “situational and tactical purposes” — using a barricade situation as an example. The police department said the drones will not be used for facial recognition or be armed with weapons. Authorities also stressed that drone use will respect constitutional and legal rights of citizens.

“The Metropolitan Police Department remains steadfast in our mission to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the District of Columbia,” Smith said.

“MPD’s new drone program marks a significant step in integrating the latest innovative technology to better serve and protect the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia,” she added. 

Washington, D.C., will join roughly 1,500 other police departments that use drones in some form to fight crime.

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Crime in Washington, D.C., spiked in 2023 and sparked national headlines after two members of Congress were victims of crime in the district. Activists worried that the crime in the district last year was hampering the well-being of both residents and tourists of the city.

Statistics from the MPD show year-to-year crime is down in the district in all categories except for sex abuse. Overall violent crime is down by 27% compared to this time in 2023, while all crime is down 17% compared to last year.