Police in Linden are adding a new tool to their emergency response efforts, launching a drone-as-first-responder program that allows unmanned aircraft to be deployed to active incidents within minutes.

The Linden Police Department recently rolled out the program, which uses autonomous drones launched from the roof of City Hall to provide officers with real time aerial information before patrol units arrive on scene.

“We’re doing that to reinforce our patrol activities and our patrol responses, to enable better decision making by our officers by giving them more information,” said Lt. Danny Tristao.

Tristao is one of 12 Linden officers trained to operate the drones. When a 911 call comes in, the location is automatically marked on a digital map. Officers can then remotely launch a drone, which ascends to about 200 feet and flies directly to the scene.

Once the drone arrives, officers can take manual control to observe the scene from multiple angles, sometimes gathering information before officers on the ground arrive. The drones are operated remotely and can even be controlled using an Xbox controller.

According to police, the technology has already proven effective.

“The stats actually show that we’re arriving on scene about 40% of the time before police officers get there,” Tristao said. “We’ve had about 78% of information delivered to police officers that has assisted us, and we’ve had a couple of good jobs so far.”

The drones can also be set to track moving vehicles, people, and even animals.

The program is limited to specific public safety calls and will not be used for routine surveillance, per New Jersey law.

For Linden police, the program represents a shift toward technology-driven policing aimed at improving officer safety and situational awareness.

“We’re in an age of new technology in the Linden Police Department,” said Linden Police Chief David Hart. “The last three to five years in policing across the country, technology has grown tremendously, and this is just one tool in the toolbox.”