Newsletter
Drones, Safety Enhancement Zone & Public Safety Updates in Newport Beach
Two weeks after approving a five-year contract for our new Police Chief, Dave Miner, the City Council also signed a deal for the acquisition of American-made BRINC Drones.
Table of Contents
Featured Posts
March 1, 2025
New Drone Program
The last of the recommendations made by the Public Safety Technology Council Ad Hoc committee on which I served; the drones are intended to be deployed from several locations strategically placed throughout the City in order to safely and quickly provide intel to the new real time NBPD Crime Information Center, as incidents arise.
These drones can also be used to support calls for service involving the Fire Department and its Lifeguard Operations, such as structure fires, vehicle fires, missing swimmers or shark sightings. Going forward, the City may utilize them as a proactive tool for crime and fire prevention, or wildlife management.
Once again, I will emphasize that, while NBPD will continue to implement new tools and measures in protection of this City, no amount of technology will replace the necessity for residents to call 911 or the non-emergency number when anything concerning, suspicious or unlawful is witnessed.
Safety Enhancement Zone
At the end of last year, I asked my Council colleagues to consider an expansion of the City’s Safety Enhancement Zone ordinance.
It was put in place in 2003 to address unruly behavior on the Peninsula on the 4th of July. NBPD returned this month with statistics that demonstrated a need to enhance this program beyond 4th of July to include all summer holiday weekends and a mirrored advisory for the Corona del Mar beach area. The recommendation was unanimously passed.
Going forward, violations of the Newport Beach Municipal Code in the Corona del Mar and Peninsula beach areas during Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends will be met with triple the standard fines, preceded by an awareness campaign to educate visitors and residents.
My goal for this initiative is to support our Police Department’s proactive enforcement posture, which will maintain order and bolster deterrence against the unwelcome behavior that seems to surge with the influx of visitors to our beach communities during the warmer months.
Safety Spotlight: Drew Kafford
Drew Kafford is an NBFD firefighter/paramedic who began his public safety journey as a seasonal lifeguard for Newport Beach in 2002, then returned as a rookie firefighter in 2011. He has been loving his job ever since; “working alongside an amazing team of people who dedicate their minds and hearts to helping a person in need.”
This 2021 Lifesaving Award recipient enjoys anything in the ocean or snow, especially with his three-year-old daughter. He and his wife, a nursing professor, also recently welcomed a new baby boy to their family.
Safety Spotlight: John Miller
With the NBPD since 2014, Officer John Miller is famous – or infamous – depending on which side of the citation pad or plexiglass you’re on, earning him a Department nickname that I won’t share here, but which loosely translates to MVP, in my book.
He enjoys resolving residents’ quality of life concerns with a zero-tolerance approach, which is why he initiated the loud vehicle exhaust enforcement task force and also why he was named Officer of the Year in 2019.
