The Fairfax County Police Department’s use of drones has caught the attention of the Trump administration.
Federal officials, including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, visited the FCPD’s Real Time Crime Center on Friday (April 24) to hype up the potential of drones to transform public safety and the U.S. economy.
A Fairfax County police pilot program that uses drones to gather initial information in emergencies continues to grow after receiving overwhelmingly positive returns.
Launched in fall 2025, the “Drone as First Responder” program features specially-outfitted drones that are deployed and remotely piloted to the location where an emergency is reported.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s drone unit has taken on new responsibilities and added a full-time drone program manager.
The drone unit now conducts more detailed work with the FCPD’s helicopter program, according to an FCPD news release. Among other tasks, the drone unit complements the helicopter program in crime scene and crash scene investigations, FCPD Second Lieutenant Brad Woehrlen wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
A number of new laws will take effect in Virginia this weekend, including expanded school zones, a prohibition on sexual harassment non-disclosure agreements, and classification of fentanyl as a “weapon of terrorism.”
Most laws passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor each year go into effect on July 1, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of instituting new safety and security measures, including vape detection in bathrooms, expanded background checks, and a drone pilot program for the incident response team.
At last week’s school board meeting, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid delivered a comprehensive update on several security and safety measures in advance of a “community conversation” on May 8 at South Lakes High School in Reston.
