Thanks to an anonymous $10,000 donation, the Plainfield Police Department now has a new eye in the sky.
“As far as I know, we are the first in the state to have it,” Officer Zachary Wells said.
In the 18 member department, Officer Wells is one of the five that is certified to fly their new unmanned aircraft.
“That way there’s always someone available if something happens we get it out and deploy it rather quickly,” Sgt. Gerry Geyer said.
The town is supportive of this new tool and so far, residents have not raised privacy concerns, Sgt. Geyer said.
“If we’re deploying it,” Sgt. Geyer said, “it’s for an actual use, you know, if somebody is lost or in distress. I mean it could even come into play for a barricade situation to get layouts of houses.”
The drone is equipped with a camera to provide aerial shots of car crashes and crime scenes.
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“Another aspect of it could be arson investigation any kind of fire investigation, especially with the thermal camera you can get it up in the air and see where the hot spots are,” Wells said.
The five pilots are keeping up with the latest FAA regulations.
“That will encompass public agencies like our law enforcement agency to be able to legally fly,” Well said.
Now, they are just waiting for their first chance to deploy the drone.
“The possibility is really endless for it and I hope to put it to good use in the near future,” Well said.
