1 week Ago By Maya Collins
The Lancaster Police Department has taken its surveillance capabilities to new heights—quite literally—with the introduction of a dedicated Drone Team. In an effort to enhance public safety and response efficiency, the Division has announced that its team of specialized officers will be operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 24/7. Details about the team and their operations were shared in a social media post by the department.
The innovative Drone Team ensures rapid deployment of drones during various critical incidents, such as tracking at-large individuals, locating missing persons, mapping out crime scenes, and overseeing large-scale events. The UAS program provides an aerial vantage point that had previously been the exclusive purview of traditional manned aircraft, which the City of Lancaster does not maintain. Previously, local officers had to depend on the resources of the Ohio State Highway Patrol or Columbus Police Department for aerial support—a situation that has been rendered largely obsolete by their in-house drone capabilities.
This transition has allowed Lancaster officers to quickly gain crucial ground and pinpoint locations that are otherwise challenging to access, without burdening their budget with the costs associated with traditional aircraft.According to the Lancaster Police Department's post, the officers receive monthly training to keep their skills sharp and in sync for operational success. The deployment of drones has been met with significantly positive outcomes, as measured by the department's own assessments.
These UAS have shown to exceed expectations in terms of operational efficiency and agility in providing aerial support to on-ground officers, thus enhancing the overall efficacy of the police force's response mechanisms.An attached video illustrates the practical advantage of the Drone Team in action. It highlights a recent incident where a missing person had taken refuge in a dense wooded area, effectively eluding direct line of sight.
The department's Drone Team was quick to respond, deploying a UAS that led officers safely through the challenging terrain to the individual's location. This not only aided in the swift and safe recovery of the person but also provided officers with critical situational awareness such as direction of travel and terrain conditions. The video, described by the Lancaster Police Department as "just one small example of the advantage our Drone Team provides on-scene officers," served to publicly underscore the value-add of integrating drone technology into modern policing strategies.
As drones continue to take flight in various aspects of society, from delivery services to agricultural surveying, law enforcement agencies like the Lancaster Police Department are finding their own ways to innovatively and safely integrate these devices into their operational fold. This technological leap forward stands to provide an additional layer of safety for both officers and citizens and a more effective means to survey, protect, and serve the community..
