New nests atop downtown QuikTrip are for crime fighting, not for birds

When you think of nests, you might envision quaint scenes of mama birds and their babies, but there are new nests atop the QuikTrip at Douglas and Washington downtown that are not quite so serene.

These mechanical nests, or hives, are home to three new crime-fighting drones worth $650,000 that QuikTrip donated to the Wichita Police Department.

“We’ve been making investments in Wichita for a while now,” said QuikTrip community relations manager Lauren Sherry. “We call it one of our legacy markets.”

Since the Tulsa chain’s 1958 founding, the company likes to put its philanthropic efforts toward public safety, particularly to make sure QuikTrip stores are safe for employees and customers.

Drones can help with that in several ways.

The WPD’s first drone test cases began last year with three drones the department placed on top of Fire Station No. 2 at 1240 S. Broadway.

Some of the drones’ successes have been highlighted in a Well Done Wednesday video series the department shares weekly.

In Vol. 103 on March 4, dramatic music starts the video with footage from one of the drones as a voiceover explains how officers were dispatched to a large car dealership where suspects appeared to be breaking into vehicles, and a drone with a spotlight went first.

“But this wasn’t going to be an easy search,” the video said.

“The suspects took off running into the dark night, hoping the shadow would be on their side. They forgot one important detail. One of the drone’s many capabilities is a powerful spotlight, cutting through the darkness and turning night into day. As the suspects ran, the light followed.”

The video showed the eventual arrests of the suspects and ends with congratulations to the officers and a nod to the drone as well.

“From the sky to the ground, teamwork made the difference.”

Detering crime

QuikTrip has donated to help police departments in other markets buy drones, but this is the first time the company has had a nest atop a store.

“QuikTrip has a lot of calls at that location, so it’s kind of beneficial for them to have it at that location,” Deputy Chief Paul Duff said. “We’ve had to shut that QuikTrip down many times before.”

Having drones there — and letting it be known the drones are there — may even be a deterrent for some crimes, Duff said.

There’s street racing in that area, and Duff said a lot of the racers meet at that QuikTrip.

If something happens during those or any other incidents, he said, “We can immediately get eyes on and see what kind of disturbance it is.”

There is a real-time information center on the fifth floor of City Hall that can deploy the drones and provide information to officers on the ground.

“We’ve had excellent results from this,” Duff said.

Since July, the drones at the fire station have been involved in 605 incidents.

In almost 52% of those cases, the drones have been first on the scene.

If that number sounds low, it’s because that area has one of the highest call loads in the city, Duff said.

“There’s probably a lot of officers in that area.”

The drones have thermal imaging, which Duff said is helpful when there’s a car chase and then someone runs on foot and tries to hide.

Another benefit is the ability to see if suspects are armed.

Often, Duff said, incidents can be resolved without officers having to get close to a suspect or be in harm’s way.

Also, it’s not necessarily only enforcement that the drones are used for.

Duff said they can help locate people or de-escalate situations.

Well Done Wednesday Vol. 61 is about a man in a mental health crisis on a balcony with a gun and who threatened suicide.

Officers ended up talking to him through a drone and explained he was not going to go to jail, Duff said.

“It de-escalated and resolved the situation.”

A win-win

At this point, drones have a battery life of about 45 minutes and can operate in a 2-mile radius, which means the ones on top of QuikTrip will be able to cover the Old Town entertainment area — another popular place where incidents regularly happen.

Drones usually can make it to a scene in about 90 seconds.

With more drones operational, they can tag team in order to let the others recharge.

Duff said having full drone coverage across the city would be highly beneficial.

The new QuikTrip drones are only one of the company’s efforts to help Wichita, Sherry said.

Among other initiatives, the company contributes to workforce-development programs, substance-abuse programs and has a partnership with National Safe Place for any child in crisis to go to a QuikTrip for help.

“We’re very passionate about . . . our communities and our store teams,” Sherry said.

She said she’s not sure if QuikTrip will add nests at other stores around Wichita.

“The hope is we will, but I think we have a lot to learn.”

Sherry said the company will see how this goes and work with the Police Departmet on the best solutions for Wichita going forward.

“I think that’s what’s exciting about this.”

Regardless of whether QuikTrip donates any other drones for Wichita, Duff said these three are going to be helpful.

“For us, it’s an opportunity to get more drone coverage.”

And it’s an opportunity for QuikTrip to make that Douglas and Washington store safer.

“It’s a win-win for both of us.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 4:01 AM.