Southwest
Texas police department to introduce autonomous drone pilot program: 'An eye in the sky'
A police department in Texas may soon be using drones to respond to emergency calls, according to Police Chief Brian Jones.
The Bee Cave Police Department offered a demonstration of their autonomous drone system on Friday morning, known as “AV8.”
The demonstration was part of a pilot project to test the AV8, which also consists of a computer system to keep drones on-target. Both are built by eve Vehicles, which is a start-up based in Austin.
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“Well, it’s a force multiplier for us, really, because it serves as an eye in the sky and gives us real-time information before an officer even arrives at the location,” said Bee Cave Chief of Police Brian Jones to FOX 7 Austin.
“We’ve gone through several generations,” said eve Vehicles co-founder and CEO Roger Pecina to FOX 7 Austin. “We’ve been working on this specific concept for about two years.”
Batteries for the drones, which are stored onboard, offer around 40 minutes’ flight time.
“And when that drone’s battery is running low, it’ll actually call another drone in the network. They’ll come and replace it,” said Pecina to FOX 7 Austin. “And then this one goes to the closest nest to recharge its battery.”
Routes for the drones are pre-programmed along local roads and highways to reach dispatch locations for emergency calls in the pilot program.
“So, the idea is that once they have the address, they do plug it into AV8 that does all of the calculation to see which drone is close to that call and autonomously leaves, and it goes to the scene without a pilot. It arrives when it’s on scene that’s when the pilot takes control and can move the drone around to get like better views of exactly what’s being developed,” said Pecina to FOX 7 Austin.
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From there, video is transmitted directly from the drone back to dispatch, where feed is sent to Bee Cave Police patrol cars and smartphones in real-time.
The AV8 system’s first deployment may take place as soon as next week on limited emergency calls in Bee Cave, which is a suburb of Austin. However, the entire system is not expected to deploy for another month or two.
A future plan is already in the works with eve Vehicles to create a night vision option for the AV8 drones as well as a parachute safety system. The drones are launched from “Nests,” which are open-air platforms.
Three launch sites, including two local schools, were chosen for the Bee Cave AV8 pilot program. The schools were selected before last Wednesday’s mass shooting at Georgia’s Apalachee High School.
“Say, for instance, the example that you use the school shooter in Georgia, heaven forbid, something like that, were to happen here,” said Police Chief Brian Jones to FOX 7 Austin. “And we had the capabilities, this drone technology capability, we would have that information before the officers even arrive at the scene, so we can better prepare to engage a suspect.”
“We could possibly know their location before the officers arrive, and we could better respond to that situation and possibly save lives,” said Chief Jones to FOX 7 Austin.
There is no official start date for the Bee Cave AV8 pilot program.
The Bee Cave Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Detectives ask for help finding at-risk Los Angeles man near Lancaster Metro Station
Detectives are asking for the public’s help finding William Clifford Douglas, 39, of Los Angeles, who was last seen on Sept. 5 at 12:44 p.m. on the 2600 block of Charford St. in Glendora.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Douglas is diabetic and requires daily medical attention, and he has a diminished mental capacity. His family is concerned for his well-being.
Douglas is described as a white man, 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 320 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes, and was last seen wearing a grey/white t-shirt and blue jeans.
Detectives said he has a possible destination of Lancaster Metro Station.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500.
To reach out anonymously, call “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Los Angeles, Ca
'Multiple explosions' occur as auto repair shop fire burns cars during heatwave
An auto repair shop in the San Fernando Valley was up in flames on Saturday, resulting in explosions and burned vehicles, according to authorities.
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed the blaze Saturday afternoon. It was reported just before noon at 16816 W Saticoy Street in Lake Balboa.
The shop was identified as New Century Auto Body & Paint.
The shop, a 70-year-old one-story structure, and several vehicles were burned as a result. Authorities said that multiple explosions occurred inside the shop as firefighters arrived, likely related to vehicles or equipment inside.
No injuries were reported. According to LAFD, the blaze was difficult for crews as they battled 108 degree temperatures.
The 3,544 square foot building was consumed in the fire, per officials. It took crews 63 minutes to knock it down.
Southwest
Border senator and former Harris VP short-lister claims 'no evidence' illegal immigrants vote
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., denied there was any evidence of illegal immigrants voting in U.S. elections on Tuesday when he was asked about legislation that would require proof of citizenship in order to vote.
“There is no evidence that undocumented migrants vote,” the border senator told Fox News’ Chad Pergram at the Capitol during the chamber’s pro forma session.
Kelly had been asked for his thoughts on including a bill to require proof of citizenship in order to vote in a must-pass spending bill at the end of the month.
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“This is a solution looking for a problem,” he responded.
Kelly reiterated again, “The problem doesn’t exist.”
Republicans have ramped up their efforts to secure elections ahead of the pivotal November races, in part by removing noncitizens from voter rolls across the country. Last month, 138 noncitizens were found to have recently voted in Ohio during a months-long voter roll audit. This came after Ohio removed hundreds of registered noncitizens from voter rolls earlier this year.
It’s unclear, however, whether the noncitizens who have illegally voted were in the U.S. illegally.
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Despite Kelly’s claim, similar instances of registered noncitizens have been found across the country. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, revealed that more than 6,500 noncitizens were registered in the Lone Star State.
“Of the over 6,500 potential noncitizens removed from the voter rolls, approximately 1,930 have a voter history,” read an August press release.
Alabama, Virginia and Georgia also announced numerous instances of noncitizens being registered to vote during their own audits.
MICHIGAN BECOMES TOP GOP SENATE TARGET AS MIKE ROGERS TIES WITH DEM OPPONENT AMONG OLDER VOTERS
Ahead of the 2024 election, some conservative Republicans in the House and Senate have made it their mission to include the federal legislation to require proof of citizenship to vote in a must-pass stopgap spending bill at the end of September.
The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, passed the Republican-led House earlier this summer by a vote of 221-198. Five Democrats joined the measure, including Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine; Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.; and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.
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However, the bill has not been scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Some proponents have suggested tying it to the spending bill is the only way to secure a Senate vote on the measure.
According to Kelly, it is “hard enough to get citizens to vote.”
He said the legislation would create a “new system and requirements that there doesn’t seem to be any necessity [for].”
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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