Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office introduce drones

According to Birmingham, Alabama-based news outlet 6WBRC, the scheme has taken over six months of planning. A group of deputies reportedly underwent training on how to operate the aircraft last week, with TCSO eventually planning to operate a fleet of at least eight drones as part of its patrol division.

TCSO’s SWAT team and Violent Crimes Unit will also reportedly receive drones, and the department has also acquired a new mobile drone command center for the new aircraft.

The aircraft are expected to offer greater flexibility for TCSO, as well as significant cost savings. According to TCSO Chief Loyd Baker, the drones cost between US$4,000 and $6,000 depending on size, while operating and maintaining the department’s two helicopters costs several hundred thousand dollars per year.

The new drones could also offer improved response times

The new drones will also potentially offer improvements to response times for aerial support. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy said: “Instead of waiting 15 to 20 minutes to get that unit there, boom, they will immediately deploy them. This will allow us to fly that drone right in and get immediate access to visibility for the suspect.”

However, while the drones will offer improved flexibility for TCSO, Abernathy told radio station WVUA 23 that the department will still be capable of calling in the Tuscaloosa Aviation Unit when necessary.

Drone technology is being explored as an alternative or supplement to traditional air support options for law enforcement agencies around the world. Elsewhere, Police Scotland became the first UK police force to implement livestream video technology on their drone fleets in April 2022.