BY FREDA MIKLIN
GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER
The City of Greenwood Village will use specialized police drones as first responders in 2026, beginning with focusing on the time and days of the week when it usually receives the highest volume of calls for service.
At its 2026 budget retreat on September 29, the city council approved a new five-year program to lease Drone First Responders (DFR) from BRINC, a company already providing these drones to 700 law enforcement agencies around the globe. Greenwood Village will be the first or second to use it in Colorado, according to GVPD Chief Dustin Varney.
These specialized drones, complete with lights, sirens, and a 640-pixel camera, will launch from a “nest” location, probably atop a sizable GV office building, and are predicted to arrive on-scene in 30-40 seconds.
The drones, which cost $55,000 to $75,000 to buy, are made in the U.S.A., so service is not a problem, the chief explained. They are weather resistant, ensuring reliable performance in any climate. Leasing the drones, rather than buying them, includes all software updates as they become available. The contract, which will cost the City about $100,000 per year for the first two years, can be canceled anytime if it doesn’t work out.
According to BRINC, DFRs are “equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, payload droppers, and two-way communication,” providing “real-time situational awareness, critical insights, and interactive capabilities before first responders arrive on scene—
enhancing decision-making and improving outcomes.”