High-tech safety solution: You can book security drone in 1 hour through new app

Private security is going high-tech. In the ongoing effort to protect people and property, a new company is taking to the skies and providing on-demand aerial security coverage.

SMS Novel Films has launched its drone security app this week. Drones will provide live stream security coverage through an app directly to customers who want to monitor themselves or their home or business.
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"For those who have concerns, that's how I would probably put it, concerns about crime, safety, their residential neighborhood, I think this could be a beneficial tool to deter, to detect and deflect," explains Jomo Johnson, the founder and CEO of SMS Novel Films.

SMS Novel Films was motivated to enter the private security field by the murder rate in Memphis, Tennessee, which set a record in 2021 and is on pace to break that record this year.

Available in more than 25 cities, including Los Angeles, the drone can be booked with as little notice as an hour to provide targeted coverage using live operators who are trained to respond to suspicious activities.

"Let's use what we have to be able to monitor hotbed areas that have a higher crime rate. To be able to have that footage, give that footage to police or authorities, but also be able to notify residents, these drones are live streamed, so a resident can click on the link and they can see what's going on during those drone hours," Johnson said.



Drone security won't always be about keeping an eye on an individual or even an event. In many cases, it will be about what's happening in the surrounding area that security on the ground can't see.
Flash mobs are a terrifying example of that. But private drone security, with a one-mile radius, could provide advance warning for business owners and customers who need to be protected.

"To be able to notify those stores, those business owners or even residents in that area to say, 'Hey there's a gathering of 60-70 individuals at this location please be on alert,' stores could lock their doors, they could kind of have a line system," Johnson said.

Matt Lowe has used the app during beta testing and enjoys the added safety provided. He walks his dog all over Los Angeles and has seen things that made him wish someone was watching with him. And he adds, as drone security becomes more common, he thinks it could be a way to stop crime before it happens.

"It's an eagle-eye view of what's going on. It's more evidence in case something happens to you or somebody else and I think it will prevent crime honestly, I think if they saw something like that, 'cause you're gonna hear it, you're gonna know it's there and you're gonna know that you're being watched. I think it's gonna stop people from wanting to do that," he said.

Here is a list of cities where the aerial security drone service is available:

1. New York City, New York
2. Los Angeles, California
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. Houston, Texas
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5. Phoenix, Arizona
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7. San Antonio, Texas
8. San Diego, California
9. Dallas, Texas
10. San Jose, California
11. Austin, Texas
12. Jacksonville, Florida
13. Fort Worth, Texas
14. Columbus, Ohio
15. Charlotte, North Carolina
16. San Francisco, California
17. Indianapolis, Indiana
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18. Seattle, Washington
19. Denver, Colorado
20. Washington, D.C.
21. Boston, Massachusetts
22. El Paso, Texas
23. Nashville, Tennessee
24. Detroit, Michigan
25. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
26. Memphis, TN
27. St. Louis, Mo

MORE: Irvine police using drones to send out alerts in communities