Nashville Metro Council considers new rules for police drones NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Metro Council is considering new rules that could change how Nashville police use drones as first responders, including when those drones can be deployed and what technology they can use. The debate centers on a proposal originally filed by Councilmembers Sandra Sepulveda and Ginny Welsch, a substitute version of that proposal, and a separate amendment that would add special events to the situations covered by the emergency-use rules. At the center of the discussion is MNPD's Drone as First Responder, or DFR, program. What is a Drone as First Responder? MNPD began a limited DFR trial in May 2026. The department says the program uses small drones that can respond to police and fire calls and, in some cases, arrive before officers. The goal is to give responders an aerial view of what is happening so they can make safer and more informed decisions. The initial trial uses three drones launched from the roof of the Madison Precinct. MNPD said the drones could respond within a two-mile radius to emergency calls, active criminal investigations, missing-person calls and significant traffic crashes. Four FAA-certified officers operate the drones from the Community Safety Center at police headquarters. MNPD says the program is not intended to be a general surveillance or routine patrol system. The department says drones are dispatched to specific calls for service. The department has also pointed to early examples of the technology being used during active calls. In May, MNPD said a DFR drone located a domestic-violence suspect who had fled on foot. In July, the department said drone footage helped officers arrest two suspects in an active robbery and recover a boxcutter used in the crime. PAST COVERAGE | Metro review board raises questions about MNPD