Summerville Police Department’s drone program boosts safety during annual Flowertown Festival

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – The Summerville Police Department is using aerial technology to help with public safety during festivals and other community events.

The department’s public safety air support unit, or its drone program, was in full action during the Flowertown Festival this weekend, helping with myriad issues from lost children to safety concerns.

“We currently operate a small fleet of drones with a handful of pilots to cover public safety emergencies within the town,” said Andre Lafon, Summerville Police Department’s drone coordinator.

The town launched its drone program in 2023 and later expanded it to the police department shortly thereafter. Drones were used to ensure safety during the Summerville Family YMCA’s annual three-day festival over the weekend.

“We had two drone agencies there. We had our sister agency, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, with their drone program there. We both flew pretty much nonstop for the three-day event,” said Lafon.

Summerville flew their drones for 11 hours and 29 minutes during 41 flights. Dorchester County flew for 9 hours, 35 minutes, and 35 flights.

They helped with five traffic parking issues, medical calls, a lost child case, a suspicious package, a suspicious vehicle, a fire alarm, and even a tree blocking a road.

They were also able to turn their drones into a public address system. “In this case, our public address system for the Flowertown event, where we make announcements for lost people, you know, closing if we have parking problems. That system failed, and we were able to use the drones as a backup solution, where Summerville and Dorchester County drones were able to make announcements from the air.”