Just one hour from San Miguel de Allende — one of Mexico's most visited destinations — sits the city of Celaya. For years, its reputation was very different from that of its famous neighbor. Today, Celaya is rewriting that story, and automated drone technology is at the center of the change.
"For many years, Celaya was a very dangerous city — we were the most dangerous city in Mexico. That's why we had to take measures." — Juan Miguel Ramírez Sánchez, Mayor of Celaya
The challenge was clear: the traditional way of watching over the city was no longer enough. Fixed cameras that couldn't move, patrols that took time to arrive, and very little information at the moment of action left responders one step behind.
The Limits of Traditional Security
OKIP is a company that develops technology for security and smart cities, with a mission to help make Mexico safer, more connected, and more intelligent through real-time solutions. For OKIP, the problem wasn't only about seeing less — it was about arriving without information and making decisions under uncertainty.
"Before using drones, we had limitations. A fixed camera didn't let us follow an incident, and when our first responders arrived, they didn't have the full context — it could be armed individuals, a high-risk situation. We were putting our own people at risk." — Efraín Escalante Carmona, Director of Unmanned Systems at OKIP
With that level of risk, continuing to operate the same way was no longer an option. The solution was to change everything: put eyes in the air, and react faster.
Putting Eyes in the Air: The DJI Dock 3 as First Responder
With the DJI Dock 3, the drone launches on its own in seconds and streams live video — with no pilot needed on site. But the bigger shift is conceptual: the system itself becomes the first responder. Before a patrol even sets out, the drone is already on scene, seeing what's happening.
"The DJI Dock 3 lets us deploy a drone in seconds and reach the location in minutes. It optimizes the operations of the municipal police units, because we can see the scene of intervention faster — and the officers know exactly what they're going to face before they arrive." — Efraín Escalante Carmona, Director of Unmanned Systems at OKIP
This changes how officers act. They no longer arrive blind. They arrive knowing what's happening, with a far stronger capacity to respond.
From Alert to Action
The workflow is built for speed and clarity. The moment an alert comes in, an operator confirms flight conditions and the Dock 3 launches automatically — within minutes the drone is airborne and streaming live.
"We receive the alert, the operator checks the flight conditions, and the Dock 3 launches our drone — within minutes it's in the air streaming live. From the control center, we coordinate with the authorities so they can tell us which emergency needs to be addressed." — Teresa Casas Ortega, Monitoring Director at OKIP
From that moment, decisions are no longer based on assumptions, but on what is actually happening. The drone delivers clear imagery even in darkness, and that information reaches the command center — and the units in the field — instantly.
One Connected System
It isn't just the drone. The entire operation is connected. DJI FlightHub 2, the municipal C4 command center, and OKIP's own COVIA platform integrate video, telemetry, and communications in real time. Information flows from the drone to the command center and directly to the officers on the ground — enabling tighter coordination, earlier reaction, and a smaller margin for error in every operation.
Flexible, Mobile Protection
Because the system isn't tied to a single location, it can move to wherever it's needed — including nearby cities, to cover events, tourist areas, and high-traffic zones. This is where Celaya's proximity to destinations like San Miguel de Allende matters: protection becomes flexible and adaptable, not fixed.
"The Dock 3 has also helped us be present with citizens at different moments — from local fairs to supporting tourism." — Efraín Escalante Carmona, Director of Unmanned Systems at OKIP
Looking Ahead: A National Vision
OKIP's ambition extends far beyond a single city.
"OKIP's vision is to deploy a national network of autonomous systems that gives security institutions an immediate aerial response anywhere in the country — and we're doing this in collaboration with ECO, who introduced us to the full drone portfolio." — Efraín Escalante Carmona, Director of Unmanned Systems at OKIP
The results are already visible. Today, residents perceive Celaya as a safe city — even if they don't always understand why the police now arrive so quickly, and so precisely where they're needed.
"Today, people see Celaya as a safe city. They don't quite understand why the police arrive so fast, and why they go straight to the right place." — Juan Miguel Ramírez Sánchez, Mayor of Celaya
When all of that information connects, the outcomes speak for themselves: faster responses, more precise interventions, and greater safety for citizens and police alike. A city that once reacted now anticipates.
At DJI, we're proud to support OKIP, ECO, and the municipal teams of Celaya as they build a safer, smarter future for their community — one rapid, automated response at a time.