Florida Poly Become First U.S. Agency to Deploy Flying Police Vehicle
Florida Polytechnic University's police department integrates a manned electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle into operations
Source: Florida Polytechnic University ↗
The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department in Florida has become the first law enforcement agency in the United States to integrate a manned electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into active operations, the university announced October 20.
The aircraft, a Jetson ONE built by California-based Jetson, is named Astro. The department is in the final stages of seeking Federal Aviation Administration approval to fly it in patrol operations. Once cleared, Police Chief Aaron Murray said Astro will extend the department’s ability to monitor campus and surrounding acreage, reach areas inaccessible to ground vehicles, support post-storm recovery and deliver emergency supplies. The department also plans to make Astro available to regional law enforcement agencies for emergency response.
Jetson chief executive Stéphan D’haene said the company accelerated Florida Poly’s order despite a three-year waiting list, citing the university’s STEM mission and the department’s public safety purpose. “In our business plan and in alignment with our mission, we have always been looking for the use case beyond the recreational intent,” D’haene said. “We believe that this project is so important and aligns so much with what we want to do that we made it a priority.”
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Beyond patrol, Astro will serve as a research and instructional platform. Florida Poly launched an aerospace engineering degree this fall, and faculty and students are already coordinating use of real-time operational data from the aircraft for academic research and senior capstone design projects. Provost Brad Thiessen said in the announcement that Astro gives students and faculty “a living laboratory where they can analyze real-world data, tackle new engineering challenges and help shape the future of advanced air mobility.”
The department already operates a drone unit, and the university runs a student-staffed security operations center for cybersecurity. Florida was also recently selected to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, which is designed to bring next-generation aircraft into the national airspace. The SunTrax facility in Auburndale, Florida, four miles from the Florida Poly campus, houses what the university describes as the nation’s first dedicated advanced air mobility aerial test track, with eVTOL testing expected to begin by the end of 2026.
“There are a lot of things that people once looked at as recreational vehicles that are incredible tools in our profession now,” Murray said. “People used to think that bicycles, motorcycles and drones were all just toys or hobbies, but look at the huge impact they have made on our law enforcement profession.”
