Mooresville Police Launch Drone Program To Speed Emergency Response

Mooresville Police Department started flying drones in November 2025. Six aircraft now zip across town, covering a 3.5-mile radius at speeds hitting 55 mph. These flying machines arrive at crashes and crime scenes before patrol cars can get there.

Three drones sit ready at police headquarters near U.S. 21 and Brawley School Road. The remaining three wait at One Mooresville Center where N.C. 150 meets N.C. 3. When a 911 call comes in, a trained operator at headquarters sends an aircraft into the sky.

Running this program costs $300,000 each year. Police Chief Ron Campurciani says his department must follow Federal Aviation Administration rules — the same ones airlines follow.

"The way these systems work, literally, the Mooresville Police Department is going to be an airline pretty much, what with all the requirements we have to meet through the FAA," Campurciani said, according to the Charlotte Observer. "That's not like an exaggeration. We're really acting like an airline."

Six officers finished training and can fly drones when the sun is up. Assistant Police Chief Joseph Cooke said 15 to 17 more are learning how.

Drones plug into the Computer-Aided Dispatch system. This system takes 911 calls and records what happens. GPS coordinates steer aircraft where they need to go. Onboard radar spots other aircraft and keeps collisions from happening.

Officers sent a drone to locate a driver who got lost during a snowstorm in late January. Since December, aircraft answered 75 calls. These included fights, welfare checks, and thefts.

"Part of our mission is to be prepared for the future," said Campurciani, per WCNC.com "This technology allows us to be more informed situationally, so our responses can be precise and efficient, no matter the incident."

Anyone can check the Mooresville Flight Dashboard online. It tracks every drone flight. The dashboard displays call numbers, how fast drones respond, what types of calls they answer, and maps showing where each aircraft flew.

Jay Stanley works as a senior policy analyst for the ACLU. He worries about what could go wrong. "Is this what we want our future to look like?" Stanley said, according to Queen City News. "Do we want buzzing police video cameras criss-crossing our skies?"

Campurciani pushed back against privacy worries. Officers won't use aircraft to spy on people's homes or swimming pools, he stated.