Drone acquired by Brick Township PD
The drone will be utilised for tasks including missing persons investigations.
The Brick Township Police Department in New Jersey, US, has acquired a remotely piloted quadcopter. The drone aircraft was purchased using funding from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s Comprehensive Traffic Safety Grant.
The Department said it has taken steps to have two traffic safety officers trained and licensed as drone pilots. Training was conducted at Eagle View Aviation in Farmingdale, after which the officers had to pass a 60-question exam that was administered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The use of the drone must be authorised by the chief of police, said the Department.
The drone will be utilised for tasks including missing persons investigations and other search and rescue missions, as well as documenting crash scenes and providing personnel ground on the ground with an aerial perspective to assist with traffic control.
The Department said it hopes to expand this programme in the future to include additional licensed police officers and a drone equipped with night vision capabilities.