The rudders of a 10-pound premium drone began turning shortly after the center received a report of an attack on North Glenstone Avenue in May, a case in which the suspect reportedly fled the scene of the violent incident. foot.
It had only been a few weeks since the Springfield Police Department had formally introduced its UAV (short for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) unit, and the sworn, FAA-certified drone officers felt the situation warranted an aerial eye : a high-resolution camera with thermal imaging capabilities – to help locate the suspect.
As the machine fled and buzzed toward a cellphone signal from an officer on the ground, another officer observed the live feed from an SPD precinct. Their collective navigation, monitoring and communication led to a relatively quick arrest.
Other recent drone reports from the SPD include helping to locate missing children and deterring trouble by simply providing an aerial presence in locations where nefarious incidents regularly occur.
It all would have seemed like science fiction when SPD captain Eric Reece received a badge in the 1990s. Now he sees drone use as the beginning of a major shift in police work.
He embraces the change.
“This is definitely our future,” said Reece, who oversees SPD’s UAV unit. “Especially as the department struggles with staffing, we need to look for other ways to efficiently handle calls, and this is one of the things we’re moving toward.”
Drones have been helping police in Springfield and across the country for a number of years, albeit often to a lesser extent. Mapping crime scenes was one of the device’s main uses.
As technology has advanced rapidly over the past decade, so have the techniques of law enforcement agencies. Last year, SPD budgeted for a pair of DJI Matrice 30T drones, each costing about $20,000 for the device, controls and software.
Two Springfield police officers have since met Federal Aviation Administration requirements to operate the drones. FAA regulations require one officer to be in physical proximity to the drone while the other observes the live footage remotely.
The goal, Reece said, is for the program to achieve a consistent first-response level of drone use, allowing the technology to arrive on the scene (i.e. a car crash, a missing child or a bank robbery) before a physical officer or De first responder can arrive.
With speeds of up to 90 km/h and a maximum height of 120 meters (in certain emergencies the drone can go higher with FAA approval) and a flight time of 45 minutes, the drone can get there much faster.
Many US cities have docking/charging stations on top of buildings for their police drones, something SPD hopes to have in the future as its drone program matures. It is considered a cost-friendly alternative to police helicopters.
“They can cover so much more ground in an area than an officer on the ground,” Reece said of the new drones. “It can clear a square mile in an instant.”
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Days before this story was written, SPD filed these two documents regarding its drones:
Observation of Club Rodeo (Bar Close) – 2032 W Bennett St. – (No report) – Multiple dates: UAVU officers repeatedly observed the Club Rodeo Bar Close on several evenings. Several minor incidents have occurred that did not lead to reports. The presence of the M30 with police lights activated appears to have had a sustained and positive effect on Club Rodeo attendees, as subjects quickly cleared the venue.
Burglary home – 652 S Campbell Ave – 24-15739 – (28/05/2024): UAVU officers were dispatched along with others in response to a call of a home invasion. UAVU officers deployed onto the M30 and monitored the registered address while officers processed the incident. Two people were arrested and detained outside the address. UAVU officers continued to monitor the area surrounding the address while an SPD K-9 officer responded to the scene. UAVU officers later cleared the scene without further incident.
SPD said it recently deployed a drone and an officer at a stoplight with a history of dangerous red light running and conducted a public visit last month at Street Rod Nationals at the Ozark Fairgrounds.
While police say the drones are another way to help protect the community, it’s also another way to protect officers and first responders.
“If you’re an officer and you’re on the ground, it’s harder to see and because there’s a lot of places to hide. But when we set up a drone, you get a bird’s eye view,” Reece said. “A huge safety advantage. You see someone hiding behind a bush or a wall.”
Reports on police drones indicate that they also act as a body camera for officers, which can help investigators solve cases, provide evidence that prosecutors can use in court, and provide additional police accountability to ensure laws are ethically enforced.
While many people are happy to see another useful tool for law enforcement, others question a state-run camera roaming the skies.
Under FAA regulations, the drones’ cameras cannot point downward during the ascent and journey to their destination, Reece said.
“We’re not flying it to your window while you’re having lunch,” he said. “They are for emergency calls, for situations where we would have a helicopter, that’s where it would be.”
Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader, with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and by email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How drones are changing policing in Springfield: ‘This is our future’
