DENVER — The Denver Police Department (DPD) has quietly launched drones to serve as first-responders in a pilot program, sparking renewed concerns about surveillance and transparency.

The pilot program includes two Skydio X10 drones and two docking stations installed on the roof of the Denver Police Administration building on Cherokee Street in downtown Denver.

Since mid-October, when the pilot program was first launched, the drones have responded to 215 calls for service.

"Leveraging emerging technologies like Drone as First Responder platforms will help us to achieve quicker response times..." said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas in a news release announcing the trial run.

The drones operate within a two nautical mile radius of that location, according to DPD.

Denver joins a growin

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