Abandoned Suitcase Sparks Bomb Scare in Santa Fe

A police drone was first on the scene of a suspicious package in downtown Santa Fe, spotting the abandoned suitcase from the air within minutes and helping officers clear the area before bomb technicians arrived.

Footage released by the Santa Fe Police Department shows the drone lifting over the city, flying across rooftops near the Railyard and zooming in on a dark suitcase left on a ledge outside a business on October 18.

The department said its Drone as a First Responder pilot launched as soon as the call came in, located the item in the 500 block of Guadalupe Street and relayed live information to officers, who set up a perimeter. Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians then examined the item, determined it posed no danger and are investigating who left it unattended.

“It gives them time and distance to size up a situation, make decisions and achieve better outcomes,” the department said of the drone program.