DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Daytona Beach Police
Department is now equipped with two more drones to add to its six, but the
loaner drones police are using to enforce closures and other social distancing
measures during the coronavirus pandemic are equipped with intercoms.
Drone company DJI loaned the drones to the department
through a disaster relief program. Police said the flying pieces of equipment
will help them disperse crowds and keep people out of all city parks, which are
temporarily closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re reducing the officer having to go out there, walk
into the park property, walking into a crowd of people, share those germs back
and forth just to deliver a message that, 'The park’s closed. Don’t be in
here,’” said Sgt. Tim Ehrenkaufer, who heads the department’s Unmanned Aviation
Systems Unit.
The department showed drone footage from one of its 30
missions over the last week. The video shows people leaving parks throughout
the city and Ehrenkaufer said people fully complied. Police also demonstrated
their own $27,000 drone that’s equipped with a drop hook feature that officers
use in situations similar to when a beachside bomb threat was reported last
year. Ehrenkaufer said it’s also helpful to drop off lifesaving materials.
“That could be anything from the life preserver that
you’ve seen us drop into the lake, to somebody drowning, to a box of gloves,
medication,” he said.
That same drone also has a FLIR cam that can read a
person’s body temperature. Police said they will be discussing if it should be
installed in their front lobby to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“Let’s say if you have a 103 fever, that will come in
handy with letting us know from at a glance, are you somebody who possibly has
the virus?" Ehrenkaufer said. "Do we need to make sure you have extra
precautions and make sure that you have the extra equipment that you need?”
The department hopes the two loaner drones will
officially be theirs in the future because it could possibly be another
protective layer for an officer's safety.
“I think in terms of keeping officers safe, I think it’s
very important,” Ehrenkaufer said.
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