The Edinburg Police Department’s Drone First Responder program is now fully operational, according to a news release.

The program kicked off in May, making the department the first law enforcement agency in the Rio Grande Valley to deploy drones for real-time emergency response.

“Modeled after nationally recognized programs, the DFR initiative dispatches drones to calls for service such as motor vehicle accidents, crimes in progress, critical incidents, and search-and-rescue operations,” the news release stated. “Equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal night vision, drones often arrive on scene faster than officers by vehicle.”

The program was recently updated with the installation of two drone boxes on a centrally located building, providing live-streamed aerial footage to op

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