ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Elk Grove Police Department’s eyes in the sky just got a lot wider.

The Elk Grove Police Department on Tuesday announced it was granted a Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration, which enables the department to conduct drone operations without the need for human visual observers.

The waiver gives the department the ability to fly its drones beyond the visual line of sight, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the risks of the operation. Normally, drones and other uncrewed aircraft flown in the United States must stay in sight of the operator, according to the FFA standards.

The waiver, approved on Friday, now allows the department to fly the drones autonomously across the department’s 42-square-mile jurisdiction and removes the need for rooftop human visual observers and upwards of 400 feet in the air. This is twice as high as other similar waivers permitted in the past for law enforcement.

The waiver is the largest square-mile approval in the nation for law enforcement drone operators, according to the release.

“The approval of our BVLOS waiver is a monumental step forward for our DFR Program,” said Bobby Davis, Elk Grove chief of police. “This advancement reflects our commitment to leveraging innovative technology to enhance public safety while maintaining accountability and transparency in our operations.”

The Elk Grove Police Department launched its “Drone as a First Responder” program in 2024 to help supplement emergency response calls. Since the program’s initial launch, over 1,000 flights have been conducted.

Flight data is then uploaded to the department’s Drone as a First Responder portal on the department’s website.

The drones were operated by human operators on rooftops and allow officers to track suspects and vehicles involved in ongoing crimes, according to the department’s website.

In the news release, the department emphasized that the Drone as a First Responder program is used “exclusively in response to calls for service.”