A small fleet of drones began to buzz overhead Thursday monitoring traffic and perimeters for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
With 125,000 people expected daily and an increased camping area and footprint, the festival dwarfs its host city, Indio. In the wake of the killing of 58 at a Las Vegas music festival, Indio police and 14 other local and federal agencies will have more eyes than ever on the crowd thanks to the aerial surveillance.
“Drones will be flying over watching the perimeters. It takes us a few minutes to get an officer to a perimeter breach but a drone takes 45 seconds,” Indio Police Sgt. Dan Marshall said. “The drones will also allow us to monitor traffic better than before.”
Marshall said an outside company experienced in flying drones is providing the eyes in the sky for the first time and is cheaper and easier to call in than a police chopper.
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