WHEAT RIDGE, Colorado – A police unit in Colorado is finding new ways to solve crimes with the help of drones.
Wheat Ridge Police said that since their department acquired drones in April, they have been able to use them to respond to various emergency calls almost daily.
Alex Rose, police spokesman, said they were excited about the capabilities of their drone, which could, among other things, help ensure the safety of officers.
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“Every day is a new opportunity for our department to see where we can take this technology,” Rose said.
Rose said the department is pushing the limits of what its drones can do. He said a team of about 10 officers are trained to operate the drones.
When officials decide to send a drone to a specific area, they can use a GPS tracking system to track where the drone is launched from and receive a live image of the drone’s flight position.
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Sergeant John Bowman, drone instructor for the Wheat Ridge Police Department, said the department’s drones also have zoom capabilities.
An image taken by a Wheat Ridge Police drone. (Wheat Ridge Police)
“It takes a lot of practice. A lot of patience. A lot of repetition. But these camera systems and these operating systems cover a lot of different areas,” Bowman said.
Police said one of their drones recently caught someone breaking into an apartment. In June, a maintenance worker called police and said he saw intruders in an apartment. Instead of sending an officer, they sent a drone.
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After a search warrant was obtained, the drone flew into the home to investigate. Rose said the drone found a dog and a person sleeping in a closet. The person was arrested and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
Wheat Ridge police say they are training some of their officers to use drone technology. (Wheat Ridge Police Department)
Wheat Ridge police said their drones would also help investigate car crashes and monitor large crowds, such as at festivals.
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Dr. Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said some cities have very strict rules about when and how police can use drones, while other cities across the country have no regulations at all.
“This is very worrying because there is currently a great deal of disagreement among the courts about whether, for example, the police can fly a drone over your house or property with or without a warrant,” said Guariglia.
Wheat Ridge police said they had to check with their district attorney before using drones and are one of at least 20 police departments in Colorado that use such drones.
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“It’s a new technology and so we’re constantly watching what other departments are doing. Is there case law that affects this and other jurisdictions,” Rose said.
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Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver.
Police in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, said their drones help them solve crimes almost every day.
