Local Police Department Buys A Drone

Tools

by Kirk Hawkins
Bio | Email | Follow: @kirkhawkins by Photographer Tim Mullican

Story Created: Mar 7, 2013 at 10:33 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 7, 2013 at 11:40 PM EDT

MONROE, N.C.--The dramatic final moments of a high speed chase, thermal images from an infrared camera, and a closer look at two suspects. These were all beamed back in real time from a drone. The Monroe Police Department hopes the drone they are buying will help officers with things like missing persons cases and evidence collection.

Fred Culbertson is the C.E.O. of Condor Aerial Optics in Monroe. His company builds drones for police,"This is just another tool to go in their tool box to help product the officers and civilian
population in case of an imminent threat," he said.

The drones are lightweight, weighing just about twelve and a half pounds. It has a range of 3 miles and a battery life of about 45 minutes.

While armed drones are used by the military overseas, the surveillance aircraft are expected to become more common in the United States. Lawmakers are looking to regulate domestic drones amid concerns they can peek in windows and spy on backyards. Something Fred says isn't going to happen, "Even though the technology is here, nobody can afford it. You're talking about multi million dollar aircraft or satellites to be able to do something like that" he said.

While they might not be in your neighborhood now, they could be. More than 100 law enforcement agencies are on a waiting list. The un-armed drone is expected to make it's first flight
in the next six months. Monroe Police are paying for it with 44 thousand dollars worth of
drug forfeiture funds.

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