Public safety tech company Axon has set out to address the problem, by leveraging the existing Fotokite tethered drone.

We first heard about the Fotokite in 2015.

Designed by Russian roboticist Sergei Lupashin, it's essentially an electric quadcopter on a long, reeled tether. That tether delivers power up from a ground-based high-capacity battery or electrical outlet, plus it relays real-time HD video down from the drone's onboard camera. This means that the aircraft can stay aloft in one location for hours a time, continuously transmitting video.

And while the drone can be manually controlled via a smartphone or tablet, it can also fly autonomously, simply holding a given altitude and orientation. What's more, because it's safely tethered to the ground, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows it to be flown in urban areas without the need for waivers or an operator's license.