By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says his department is using a drone to track down fugitives and locate lost citizens, as well as to investigate crime scenes.
Puett says the department used seized drug money to pay for the drone, which cost more than $10,000.
“We’ve had a drone for a little while,” Puett tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “It took us a little while to get it online, because of the training and the policies and stuff. And the city has one. Drones have become pretty popular, because they’re very effective in lots of applications.”
Buchanan County got the drone up in the air to help the State Highway Patrol attempt to track two men who escaped custody after a high-speed chase on I-29 earlier this month.
Puett says his department is learning the best way to use a drone. Puett says it took a while to get the drone licensed and to train department personnel on how to use it. He says it can be used in a variety of ways.
“I hate to say we deploy it all the time, but we’ll deploy it when it’s needed or if somebody asks for assistance,” Puett says. “It’s easy to get a drone up and get it looking. It’s a lot easier and cheaper than trying to get a helicopter.”
The drone used by Buchanan County has a camera and has infrared capabilities that can detect body heat when visibility is reduced. Puett says it can be used in multiple applications. Though most think of a drone as useful in criminal investigations, it also can be used to help locate missing children or even dementia patients who be lost.