Geneva, Illinois, approves police drones
The city council of Geneva, in the US state of Illinois, has approved $58,000 for the purchase of two new police drones
The Skydio X10 drones would be used both by the local police department and for the inspection of public works.
They will be used to provide aerial surveillance at events, in searches for missing persons, and to assist in water rescues in the river, among other things. Additionally, the drones will be used to survey the condition of transformers in the area’s electricity network.
Eric Passarelli, Police Chief of the Geneva Police Department, speaking to the Kane County Chronicle newspaper, praised the use of drones. He noted that: “Over the last month, we’ve had two instances where we had missing juveniles in town, and we used drones from a neighboring jurisdiction who were able to come in and help us.”
The Skydio X10 is capable of maximum speeds of 72km/h, and has a maximum flight time of 40 minutes. It can be set up in 40 seconds. The drones being purchased by the City of Geneva will also be fitted with an infrared camera.
Baltimore, Maryland, also recently approved the purchase of three DJI police drones for $38,152.