LAKELAND, Fla. — The future of law enforcement may be taking flight in Polk County.
The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in the United States to integrate a manned electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, commonly known as an eVTOL, into its operations.
The aircraft, nicknamed “Astro,” is a Jetson ONE produced by California-based Jetson. The name is a nod both to science and Astro, the dog from the classic animated television series “The Jetsons.”
Florida Poly Police Chief Aaron Murray said the department wants to begin learning how the emerging technology could be used for public safety rather than waiting until the aircraft become more commonplace.
“Advanced air mobility is a technology on the rise, and we can either choose to be proactive or reactive as it develops,” Murray said. “We want to stay at the forefront of this technology and understand how it can be used to advance public safety and airspace safety altogether.”
Florida Poly is still seeking final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before Astro can be used for police operations.
Once approved, Murray said the aircraft could give officers another way to monitor the campus and surrounding property, reach areas that are difficult to access with conventional vehicles, assist following hurricanes and other storms, and quickly deliver emergency supplies.
The University Police Department also plans to work with other law enforcement agencies in the region to potentially deploy Astro during emergency response and other public safety operations.
Jetson CEO Stéphan D’haene said the company moved Florida Poly’s order ahead despite a roughly three-year waiting list because the project fits the company’s interest in finding uses for the aircraft beyond recreation.
“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.”
The unusual police vehicle will also have another job at Florida Poly: helping students learn.
The university launched an aerospace engineering degree program this fall, and Astro is expected to provide students and faculty with access to real-world flight and operational data.
“At Florida Poly, we want our students working with emerging technologies before they become commonplace,” Florida Poly Provost Dr. Brad Thiessen said. “Astro gives our 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.”
Faculty and students are already working on ways to incorporate data collected from Astro into research and senior capstone projects.
The aircraft is the latest emerging technology adopted by Florida Poly’s police department, which also recently established a drone unit. The university has additionally launched a student-powered Security Operations Center focused on cybersecurity.
“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.”
The timing is particularly significant for Polk County.
Florida has been selected to participate in the FAA’s eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, aimed at safely incorporating next-generation aircraft into the nation’s airspace.
Meanwhile, the SunTrax facility in Auburndale, located just a few miles from Florida Poly, is home to what officials describe as the nation’s first dedicated advanced air mobility aerial test track. eVTOL testing there is expected to begin by the end of 2026.
That places Polk County at the center of two significant developments involving a technology that, until recently, sounded more like something from “The Jetsons” than a vehicle potentially used by local law enforcement.
For now, Astro remains grounded for police operations while Florida Poly awaits final FAA approval. But university officials believe the aircraft could ultimately serve three purposes at once: public safety, research and preparing students for an emerging aviation industry.
