Telegraph Staff Writer
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced the rollout of the agency’s newest public safety tool, unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones, during a Monday, March 20 news conference.
In a follow-up press release, the sheriff’s office said that using drones equipped with high-resolution cameras has become widespread among law enforcement agencies to keep their citizens and personnel safe, perform search and rescue missions, and respond to and complete damage assessments of natural disasters.
“These drones will bring new capabilities to our agency and enhance public safety in our community,” the office said.
The agency added that it purchased three drones, one assigned to patrol and the third to emergency preparedness.
“After several months of researching drones, Florida State Statutes, training requirements, and industry best practices, we have developed our own policies and procedures to deploy drones,” the agency said.
Cheaper than helicopters
The office said the alternative to the unmanned aircraft: police helicopters cost between $500,000 and $3 million to acquire and between $200 to $400 an hour to operate.
“We would also need multiple pilots, ground crews, co-pilots, hangar space, and helipads,” the office said.
The sheriff’s office said that other law enforcement agencies have found the new technology useful, especially drones with infrared cameras that separate heat sources from other surroundings, making hiding or lost people easier to find in foliage or water.
“The drones will help us with search and rescue efforts, active shooter incidents, disaster response, and crime scene processing,” the agency said. “They will allow us to achieve closer proximity to evolving dangerous incidents without putting people in harm’s way.”
Couple lost in forest
Sheriff Michelle Cook said a drone has already assisted the office in locating a lost couple.
“Several months back, when a couple of our elderly citizens went to walk their dogs in Jennings State Forrest, their dogs ran off into a wooded area, and they went after them. They became disoriented and wandered for some time before calling 911,” Cook said. “CCSO patrol and CCFD responded and tried to find them for over an hour. My Emergency Preparedness Unit responded and launched their drone, which was the only drone we had at the time. Within minutes, the drone located the couple and their dog. The husband was in medical distress from severe dehydration and needed to be rescued from where they were located. If we had not been successful with the drone in locating these folks when it did, this situation might have had a very different outcome-a recovery versus rescue. That’s why we’re pleased to announce the implementation of this program into our agency’s patrol operations.”
Sgt. Chris Glenn added that the drones might save agency resources by limiting response to certain calls.
“You see a lot of—in different scenarios—over-police presence within certain things,” he said during the news conference. “We can actually take a distanced look. We can see if we need to deploy resources into that process or not.”
Invasion of privacy, illegal searches
Cook added that she understands the potential for abuse using the new technology, including invasion of privacy and illegal searches.
“Florida State Statutes spell out requirements for a Florida law enforcement agency to fly a drone, and we are committed to following those guidelines and obtaining search warrants when required,” Cook said. “We will operate our program openly to enhance the safety of this community and will follow the law.”
The office said the eight deputies that have been certified as remote pilots received flight certification training.
“This team was also trained on our policies, Florida law, Federal Aviation Administration standards, how to properly request to enter a no-fly zone around military locations or airports, and on the care and maintenance of the drones,” the office said. “Our training and missions are tracked and documented according to Florida State Statute and our policies.”
