The Kentwood Police Department is utilizing drones to enhance safety and efficiency in policing.
Back in April, the department added two new tactical drones to the drone team, which has been around for nearly two years now.
"If you can imagine, if you were a police officer and you're going into an unknown location, we say, 'Hey, you're in the front, you're gonna go through that front door.' You're the first one in there. Imagine how much better you'd feel knowing that first room has been at least checked with this guy," Captain Tim Wierenga said, highlighting the reassurance drones provide to officers in potentially dangerous situations.
The department has deployed drones 81 times in 2025 alone for various calls to service, demonstrating their practical application in the field.
"We had stolen vehicles where people fled with SRT call outs, , a large felonious assault domestic, where we're trying to locate suspects, and we use that drone to pull that whole scene kind of together," Wierenga explained.
This year, Kentwood police have successfully located eight suspects using drones.
In one instance of unreleased footage, a suspect was located at night using drone thermal imaging.
"You can kind of see the outline of some legs, and he starts checking that he sees maybe a little bit of movement, and he's able to locate that subject," Wierenga noted. "He radios to officers that he's located him in this location. It gives them time to make a plan."
Wierenga emphasized that the primary aim is safety for all involved. "The community, our officers, suspects, victims, everybody can be a little bit safer if we know where someone is," he said.
The Kentwood Police Department currently has four drones currently and plans to expand their fleet in the future.
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