Wisconsin Police Department implements drone technology

In the town of Linn, the Wisconsin Police department recently made the move to purchase drone technology to ensure public safety. The police now have three DJI drones in their arsenal to help out in various ways.

The Linn Police department has been able to reduce the manpower needed to respond in situations by as much as 50%. The department is using the drones for search and rescue operations, especially around the lake in town and to survey road damage. The drones are also being used to provide aerial images of buildings and infrastructure for maintenance and repairs to be completed.

During the COVID pandemic, the police have also been using the drones to patrol the town without needing manpower on the ground which has allowed social distancing to be better followed and reduce the risk of police officers getting the virus.

James Bushey, Chief of the Town of Linn Police Department said:

“The use of drone technology enables us to not only protect our community better and more efficiently, but we’re also able to help neighboring jurisdictions. We all face similar manpower and equipment challenges, so unmanned aerial capabilities make a huge difference for solving cases. Combined with the ability to patrol while maintaining social distancing, we’re more confident than ever in our ability to protect our residents.”

The police have received training in various courses but Bushey has helped to streamline the process by creating an FAA approved training curriculum which all the officers will undertake to be able to fly the drones.

The drones of choice

Thanks to the help of Adorama Business Solutions, who have helped police departments across the country, the Linn Police now have three DJI drones. The first being the original DJI Inspire equipped with the DJI XT thermal camera, an older drone but still very capable. The second drone is the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual and the third being the smaller DJI Spark.

Photo: Adorama