Las Vegas police drone helps thwart burglary attempt

By Dean Murray

A US police force tackled an alleged burglary attempt by sending a drone to the property.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) shared camera footage from the drone as it took off and flew to the home.

They had been alerted to a potential trespasser by the property owner, who had seen the person on CCTV.

LVMPD said: "On May 12, a homeowner was out of town when their security cameras alerted them that someone was trying to get inside their Las Vegas home near Desert Inn and Arville. They called Metro.

"An LVMPD drone launched from a SkyPort and was overhead in seconds, locating the suspect outside the residence. Working together, the drone pilot and dispatcher quickly guided responding officers to the location, leading to an arrest."

LVMPD reported that it has flown more than 12,000 drone flights so far in 2026.

They added: "Today, our drones are arriving on scene before officers more than 70% of the time. That means faster response, better situational awareness, better information for our officers, and ultimately safer outcomes for our community. When every second counts, eyes in the sky can make all the difference."

Social media users reacted to the drone footage.

HumanProbably commented: "Nice. Obvious next step, arm the drones."

Jason Morahan posted: "Excellent, perfect use for the technology. And this isn't "spying" it's dispatched with reasonable cause and most importantly very good response time on target."

While Europa3962 added: "Welcome to the surveillance state. Surveillance disguised as public safety."