Iowa’s Perry Police Department acquires new drone
The uncrewed aircraft was acquired for $3,000, and is the first to be owned by the department
Perry Police Department, in the US state of Iowa, has unveiled a new drone for use in locating suspects and missing persons.
The drone, a Matrice 200 V2, was acquired from Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for $3,000.
According to a report by local news provider Raccoon Valley Radio, the uncrewed aircraft had previously been acquired by that agency for $25,000 in 2020, but had only been used a handful of times before its sale to Perry Police Department.
The drone was acquired using memorial funds from the family of a former police officer, with additional items to support its purchase being covered by a donation from the People for Perry community group.
The drone is equipped with an electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) camera and object avoidance capabilities. It is capable of flying to heights of 400ft (122m) and at speeds of 30mph (48.3km/h).
The department currently has one pilot licensed to fly the drone, but is in the process of training seven more. There are also plans to acquire a second drone once more pilots are qualified to fly.
The police department of Sparks, Nevada, recently announced plans to implement a drone-as-first-responder (DFR) program.