Atlanta-based Flock Safety has unveiled Alpha, a US-built, NDAA-compliant drone designed to help law enforcement reach emergencies faster and with sharper situational awareness. The company says Alpha represents a major step forward in Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology, combining speed, endurance, and precision in one compact system.
Now available through Flock’s Early Access Program, Alpha is being rolled out to law enforcement agencies across the country. The goal? To get eyes on emergency scenes within seconds — whether that means identifying suspects, monitoring pursuits, or assessing incidents before officers arrive.
Alpha is built specifically for public safety missions and doesn’t shy away from performance. The drone can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, making it the fastest DFR quadcopter currently available. It also boasts the longest flight time in its class and can take off again in under 90 seconds thanks to a dual battery-swapping and contact-charging dock.
Its advanced imaging system can read license plates from 2,000 feet away, allowing departments to track vehicles or gather critical details from a safe distance. Four onboard cellular modems ensure strong, redundant connectivity across jurisdictions, even in challenging coverage areas.
“Alpha has been designed from the ground up based on direct feedback from our public safety customers,” says Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety. “This is a revolutionary product built by a team that considers each feature in the context of emergency response, crime-solving, and saving lives.”
Alpha integrates seamlessly with Flock’s broader technology ecosystem, including its license plate readers, audio sensors that detect gunshots or crashes, and FlockOS, the company’s real-time policing platform. This unified setup allows officers to detect an incident, launch a drone within seconds, and monitor the situation live, all from a single interface.
“This is the only DFR platform available that lets an analyst or officer sitting safely in our Real-Time Crime Center see an LPR alert come in, dispatch a drone within a few seconds from the same software, and follow the suspect vehicle in real-time while directing patrol officers on the scene — all within one integrated system,” says Lt. Tim Fecht of Georgia’s Dunwoody Police Department. “We’re regularly using Flock DFR in addressing a wide variety of situations, from locating violent offenders to getting a closer look at vehicle accidents.”
Flock Safety is showcasing Alpha at this week’s International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in Denver. Early Access customers are expected to receive their units before the end of the year.
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