Hartford police uses unmanned aircraft to solve investigations

In Hartford, Conn., law enforcement officials will use an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to help with police pursuits and investigations. The department will have a total of four certified drone pilots, according to news reports.

During a press conference, Hartford police chief Jason Tody said the UAS initiative was recently rolled out and has helped police with ATV pursuits, motor vehicle crashes, structure fires and missing persons cases.

“These unmanned aircraft systems will help us serve our community more safely and efficiently,” Thody said. “When we have critical incidents, they will save us time and resources, allowing us to respond more effectively and also freeing up resources for other calls for service. We are particularly interested in using these UAS to respond to illegal ATV use, which is one of the most frequent quality of life complaints we get.”

The use of UAS is dictated by state and federal law and Hartford Police Department policy, police said, and will be restricted to serve a specific purpose, which must be thoroughly documented and reported. In addition, all drones in use are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. Each flight will also be logged.

Maria Henriquez is a former Associate Editor of Security. She covered topics including cybersecurity and physical security, risk management and more.

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