QuickTrip donates $375K mobile drone command center to Gastonia Police Dept.

GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Police Department has a new mobile command center for its drone team. On Wednesday, WCCB Charlotte got a demonstration from officers showing exactly how the department plans to use the new high-tech van out in the field during things like critical incidents, large events and search operations.

The department says before, they could only keep the drones up in the air for two hours at a time before they’d have to change batteries. Now, the drones can be hard wired to the van, and stay up in the air for very long periods of time.

Capt. Jarod Ewers says, “The biggest thing is it makes the police department more efficient in being able to solve crimes and being able to see the necessary info to be safe (for) ourselves and also to keep our community members safe.”

There are 13 employees dedicated to working with those drones at the Gastonia Police Department. QuikTrip donated the $375,000 needed to purchase the drone van for the department.