In January, the Owensboro Police Department implemented its first-ever Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Team. On Wednesday, OPD showed off their drone-like devices and demonstrated when, where and how they will be used.
Other law enforcement agencies across the country and state have created UAV teams to assist their departments, and OPD’s team consists of 10 officers who spent months studying and training for their FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot aeronautical knowledge test. The 10-member team began training in October and each received their commercial pilot license by January.
The $2,300 UAV system is what Johnston calls an introductory system for law enforcement as it comes with a few limitations that more expensive UAVs don’t have. The UAV can only fly for 30 minutes at a time before the battery pack has to be replaced, and it can’t get wet.
“This one cannot fly in precipitation. If it’s raining, it’s grounded,” said UAV Team Supervisor Lt. Adam Johnston. “Other ones we’re looking at can fly in all weather conditions with longer flight times. They have higher-quality thermal camera systems.”
But still, the UAV team has a lot more capabilities with their new technology than they had before. Johnston said the UAV can cut the time in half for accident deconstruction. In the case of fatal traffic accidents, it can take up to five hours for OPD to gather the needed information and complete the deconstruction on site.
With the help of a UAV, which was used for the first time last week at the scene of a fatal car accident, what previously took five hours now takes about two-and-a-half.
“For crime and crash scene documentation, it gives us that aerial view from above that we would not be able to see, otherwise,” Johnston said.
The UAV can also be used in locating missing persons, documenting a crime scene and tracking down people who’ve fled from police.
The UAV also provides an extra layer of protection for law enforcement. The UAV almost acts as a member of the team in that a window or door can be opened and the device can fly around and check out the scene before law enforcement goes inside.
The same rules apply to the UAV as applies to law enforcement when entering a home — permission must be granted, or OPD must have the authority to enter the home before the device can go inside.
“As a pilot on the scene, I can remain safely back behind cover or nowhere near a dangerous situation and send this in for reconnaissance,” Johnston said.
The UAV is legally only able to fly 400 feet high, either from the ground or from a building used as a take-off point. It can travel up to 45 MPH but those on the UAV team said there’s really no reason it’d be necessary to fly it that fast.
“I can speak into the controller and it’ll automatically record and broadcast whatever I say,” Johnston said. “It also has a 4K camera that’s always showing whatever you see with your eyes, and there’s also a thermal component built on.”
Even in the dark, the camera on the UAV can pick up the heat from humans through a thermal detector, so if OPD is searching for a missing child or someone on the run, they can detect their location through the thermal sensors. Not only that, but the UAV can pick up exactly where that person has traveled and follow their path.
There’s a stigma with drones and law enforcement, Johnston said, but OPD is under strict regulations with their UAV team. OPD says they’ve gotten nothing but positive support from the Owensboro community about their new unit, but that other communities have expressed worry of being watched by the police through drone-like devices.
“There’s a stigma that we’re out there for the wrong reasons — just to be Big Brother,” Johnston said. “But I can guarantee you that is not what we’re out there to do. This is a tool that will help us better prepare cases, help us better locate missing or endangered persons. It’s definitely a tool we’ll use appropriately at all times.”
