A wandering bear near schools and mobile home parks in Santa Fe, New Mexico, became an unexpected test case for the city's newly expanded police drone program.
After city leaders approved more than $2 million for the technology over the next five years, KOB 4 reported that officers deployed a drone while trying to locate one of two bears; both were captured and relocated.
Here's what to know
Police said the drone was used to track a bear as it moved through neighborhoods close to schools.
Interim Chief Ben Valdez said the overhead view gave responders space to work safely as they established a perimeter.
Valdez cited the bear search as an example of why the department sought broader use of drones.
"There are so many great use cases that we've seen so far. One was shown yesterday," he said, per the station.
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KOB 4 reported that the City Council approved the program's expansion in a 6-2 vote.
Police posted drone video on social media that showed the animal moving through the area and, at one point, getting close to a Department of Wildlife officer.
Officials tranquilized the bear and relocated it safely.
A second bear was found at Ashbaugh Park after officers followed it on foot and captured it for relocation, per KOB 4.
More background
In New Mexico, bears aren't especially rare, though the risk rises when one enters a busy area with schools, children, and pets nearby.
Valdez thanked residents for following law enforcement's guidance during the search.
Such encounters are largely shaped by human activity.
As communities expand into wildlife habitat and animals find easy food sources around people, conflicts can become common — a pattern detailed by the BBC.
A bear roaming near schools, homes, and parks can disrupt daily life, force families to keep kids inside, and create danger for both the animal and the people around it.
What's being done?
Officials invested in tools they believe can improve safety.
At the same time, locals urged caution. During the council meeting, one resident objected to the increased use of drone monitoring and similar approaches.
"I am strongly opposed to giving police any additional surveillance technology," they said, per KOB 4. "This department has already used its tools beyond their intended purpose, including surveillance of unhoused neighbors. And a department that abuses its tools should not get even more powerful ones."
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