ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 News) — The Albemarle County Police Department is working on putting together a drone robot team to help them in crisis situations.
“The drones could be used in emergency situations, such as searching for missing people in open or wooded areas, but they will also be deployed for pre-planned events,” Capt. Jason Marden said.
And Marden said having an edge on cutting-edge technology can make a big difference.
“This greatly increases our ability to search as wide an area as possible, as quickly as possible. And the faster we can do it, the greater our chances of success,” Marden said.
Marden said putting together a team isn’t easy because there’s an extensive training process, but ACPD’s team is finally hitting its stride.
“We have certified drone pilots in the department and we have several officers who have expressed interest,” Marden said.
And Marden said once the pilot was in place, they wasted no time.
“We have already implemented these systems and have them operational in several emergency situations that we have responded to, as well as planned events where we have staffed up,” Marden said.
ACPD joins other local agencies, including Albemarle County Fire Rescue and Charlottesville Police, who are deploying their own drone and robotic teams.
