On Thursday, Feb. 7., the UAS team of Corona, California's police department officially went into service. According to the Corona Police Department, the UAS team will be used to enhance the safety and service the department provides the community.
Made up of seven FAA certified UAS pilots, the UAS team will support various traditional and non-traditional police activities, including but not limited to, search and rescue, supporting fire operations, and helping locate and apprehend fleeing criminals.
Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement
LAPD's SWAT uses small UAS for first time
The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Metropolitan Division, Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) recently used a small UAS for the first time during a barricade incident involving a robbery suspect.
On Jan. 9, a specialized small UAS pilot (SWAT officer) used a UAS to find the third suspect of an armed robbery that occurred at a convenience store the night of Dec. 13, 2018.
While searching for the third suspect, Metropolitan Division police officers went to an apartment where they believed the suspect was located as a result of investigative techniques that they were implementing. The suspect refused to exit, though, and officers and detectives believed that the suspect could be armed with a firearm, which led them to requesting SWAT.
Texas' Brownsville Police and Fire departments use UAS to locate elderly man
The Brownsville Police and Fire departments in Brownsville, Texas recently collaborated to locate a missing 88-year-old man using a UAS.
Approximately three hours after the man was reported missing, he was located in a grassy area by the fire department thanks to the UAS. The man was then transported to a local hospital, and as of Tuesday, Jan. 8, was in stable condition.
“This rescue was a team effort with a great response from the Brownsville Fire and Police Departments,” says Brownsville Fire Chief Jarrett V. Sheldon.
California's Monterey County Sheriff's Office uses UAS to locate and arrest armed suspect
On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in California used its UAS to locate an armed suspect that had broken into the historical buildings at the Point Sur Lighthouse in Monterey, California the night of Saturday, Dec. 8.
Using its UAS, MCSO deputies directed California State Park Rangers to the suspect’s location, where he was subsequently arrested.
The sheriff’s office notes that this situation was dangerous for several reasons, including the steep terrain of the location, the involvement of a firearm, and the unknown intent of the suspect.
With all of these factors, the UAS proved to be a beneficial option for the sheriff’s office.
Skyfire Consulting selected to join San Diego's UAS IPP team
The City of San Diego has selected Skyfire Consulting to join its UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) team.
Considered a leading provider of public safety UAS technologies in the U.S., Skyfire Consulting was selected to be a part of San Diego's IPP efforts thanks in large part to its substantial experience with FAA regulations related to public safety UAS use.
Additionally, the Atlanta-based UAS consultancy has as already worked to obtain the first two certificates of authorization (COAs) for the Chula Vista Police Department, which is also a part of the San Diego IPP team.
FLIR announces UAS flight management software platform designed for public safety applications
FLIR Systems Inc. has announced a UAS flight management software platform designed for public safety applications called DroneSense–FLIR Edition.
According to FLIR, DroneSense-FLIR Edition is the only software platform that combines thermal and visual imaging processing with flight data planning and management capabilities across public safety organizations to help improve incident response.
This is the first product under a collaboration between FLIR and DroneSense. DroneSense is a UAS software platform maker based in Austin, Texas that FLIR announced a strategic investment in earlier this year.
Greenville Police Department investing in UAS thanks to federal grant
By Spring 2019, Greenville, South Carolina’s Police Department will have UAS technology as part of its operations.
According to Police Chief Ken Miller, the department can invest in the technology thanks to receiving a federal grant.
“Our intentional use is to purchase some sort of unmanned aircraft systems,” Miller says via WSPA-TV.
UAS have been used in the state to survey the flooding caused by Hurricane Florence. Miller says that there is no shortage of ways to utilize this technology.
“There are many departments in the city that have interest in this technology,” Miller says.
