DORAL, Fla. — The Doral Police Department tested out some new technology on Thursday while surrounded by hundreds of people and acres of open space.

DPD Chief Edwin Lopez was at the Cadillac Golf Championship at Trump National Doral Golf Club to demonstrate the department’s new drones.

“The planning is very complex when creating an operational plan of this magnitude,” said Lopez.

Aimed at improving surveillance, Lopez said DPD received $40,000 in state funding to purchase two drones.

“Whether it comes to special events, whether it comes to monitoring a critical incident, whether it comes to monitoring traffic or even finding a missing child, this type of technology really puts us at the forefront,” said Lopez.

Local 10 News also caught up with the department’s lead drone pilot, Officer John Medina.

“People may be leaving a bag or a box somewhere, where it shouldn’t be on the side of the road, or in a pathway,” he said. “Any kind of fights that may be going on, public disturbance, we can fly and get there before any officers on the ground will be there.”

From above, officers can track crowds, monitor entry points, and spot potential problems before they escalate.

“We need to gather intelligence in real time,” said Lopez. “Many times, we can get there seconds faster, seconds means saving lives, so we are able to monitor remotely from our command center or from even a cell phone the actual incident.”

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga says Doral is the epicenter of some big events this year, and security is top of mind.

“Having eyes from above really can help us zoom in and not only identify a person if we need to, but find someone if we need to,” she said.

As for this weekend’s golf tournament, the drones will add an extra layer of security for all those attending.

“We are monitoring rooftops, surrounding areas, intersections around the community, not only for the players but any dignitaries that visit, any folks that may have threat,” Lopez said.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.