Miami police have launched a new drone designed to patrol the skies over the city's downtown core, adding what officials say is an important tool to improve public safety.

Drone to patrol key neighborhoods

The drone launches from the roof of police headquarters and is meant to monitor downtown, Edgewater and Brickell. The three neighborhoods are part of a newly centralized police district.

Police Chief Manny Morales said the program is funded by a grant from the Downtown Development Authority.

"The calls will come up, it will select a priority, and it will dispatch. It will be on scene two minutes," Morales said in an Instagram video posted by Miami police.

Drone already in use

Police said the drone has already been deployed. Earlier this month, it helped locate an injured woman in

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