Police department shows new ways to use drones for law enforcement

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. – A police force in Colorado is finding new ways to solve crimes with drones. 

The Wheat Ridge Police Department said since they brought drones to their department in April, they have been able to use them to respond to different 911 calls almost every day.

Alex Rose, the police department’s public information officer, said they are excited about their drone’s capabilities, which include helping keep officers safe.

“Every day is a new opportunity for our department to see where we can take this technology,” Rose said. 

Rose said the department is pushing the limits of what their drones are capable of. He said a team of around 10 officers are trained on how to use the drones. 

When they decide to send a drone to an area, officers are able to use a GPS tracking system to see where the drone is launched from, and a live picture of where the drone is flying.

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Sgt. John Bowman, the drone course director for Wheat Ridge police, said the department’s drones also have Zoom features.

“It takes a lot of practice. A lot of patience. A lot of repetition. But these camera systems and these operating systems cover lots of different areas,” Bowman said. 

The police department said one of their drones recently caught somebody breaking into an apartment. In June, a maintenance worker called their department, saying they saw some intruders inside an apartment. Instead of sending an officer, they sent a drone.

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After obtaining a warrant, the drone went inside the home to investigate. Rose said the drone found a dog and a person sleeping in a closet. The person was arrested, and the investigation is ongoing, police said. 

Wheat Ridge police said their drones also help with investigating car crashes and monitoring large crowds like at festivals.

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Dr. Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that some cities have very strict rules about when and how police can use drones, while other cities in the country have no regulations. 

“This is a big concern because right now courts are very divided on, for instance, whether or not a police department can fly a drone over your house or over your property with or without a warrant,” Guariglia said. 

Wheat Ridge police say they had to check with their district attorney before flying drones, and that they are one of at least 20 departments in Colorado using them.

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“It is new technology, and so we are constantly looking at what are other departments doing. Is there any case law that is concerning this and other jurisdictions,” Rose said.

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Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver.

Wheat Ridge Police in Colorado said their drones help them solve crimes almost everyday.