Adams County Sheriff's Office Starts Drone Program
Force multiplier. This is the term Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Ezra Ashton uses when referring to the Sheriff department’s recently acquired drone. The word also exemplifies the benefits the drone brings to the public as well as to deputies on patrol. Drones like these aren’t cheap. Adams County’s new drone cost upwards of $15,000, but the Sheriff’s office was able to avoid this expense, thanks to a generous donation from Payette County.
“Without their help, this life-saving technology would not have been possible for Adams County to have,” wrote Sheriff Ryan Zollman in a recent email. “I am very excited to have the drone program for the safety of the citizens, the deputies, and all first responders.”
A force multiplier is something that allows deputies to do work quickly, safely and more effectively than if they didn’t have this tool. Take the scenario of searching for an overdue hunter or an injured hiker. A drone could be used to search the same area faster than a human can. Or, if there’s a potentially dangerous law enforcement situation, Ashton, or another deputy, can deploy a drone to view the area and see what they might face before they arrive. The drone program in Adams County has only been active for about three months and has already been used in at least one law enforcement situation.
Ashton has about eight years of professional experience researching, flying and testing various drones. He spent a few years in the United States Air Force and several more years in different commercial operations, flying drones. He brings this experience to the Sheriff’s Office to start and develop the drone program here from scratch. According to Ashton, “having a functional drone program acts as a crime deterrent.”
What is a drone? The word ‘drone’ implies some level of autonomy in operation. The drone Deputy Ashton uses is controlled directly from human input but does have the availability to fly preprogrammed routes and to avoid obstacles. It isn’t autonomous in the sense of making decisions on its own - its actions are determined from human input. Additionally, drones like these need to be flown within line of sight. The controller needs to have a direct line of sight to the drone to operate safely or control could be lost. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls drones Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS). Others might call them an expensive radio controlled toy. Which they are for some folks. However, they can also be an essential tool to law enforcement to enhance safety and to be a force multiplier.
The drone that Deputy Ashton flies for the Sheriff’s office is a DJI Matrice 200 series. In addition to the traditional digital camera on board it also has the capability to use thermal imaging to detect heat sources. This drone also has the ability to carry payloads up to about 4.5 pounds. Eventually Ashton would like to be able to add lights and a small PA system to help with law enforcement work.
The Sheriff’s Office drone brings some unique capabilities to the area but Deputy Ashton said that there are times when he has declined to launch the drone as it would not serve its mission of supporting law enforcement, public safety or search and rescue. Ashton explained that in order for the drone to be used, there needs to be a clear law enforcement purpose or public safety need. Examples of these include search for suspects or offenders, search and rescue day or night and even damage assessments after a natural disaster.
A tool like this drone in the hands of a trained deputy can be a valuable resource to the community and the Sheriff’s department. But what about privacy concerns?
The public is, of course, protected by the constitution’s Fourth Amendment, as well as a similar provision in Idaho’s constitution, which prohibits warrantless searches and seizures. Idaho code further spells out how drones cannot be used, including by private individuals. Your neighbor can’t use a drone to spy on you. If they do, you have legal recourse to sue them for damages, according to Idaho code.
Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Peter Donovan stated in an email that the Sheriff’s Office is required to comply with all aspects of the Fourth Amendment and Idaho code. These regulations are why there are limited situations where Ashton would launch the department’s drone. Law enforcement needs to protect privacy but also gather evidence in a way that keeps the public safe and does not jeopardize prosecution of a case.
“Here at Adams County Sheriff’s Office, we take people’s constitutional rights very seriously. We have no intention to use this technology in any way that would interfere with any citizens’ rights, we greatly respect their rights. This again is a tool we intend to use ONLY for public safety and the safety of all first responders. ACSO is excited to have this tool and will use it safely and responsibly at all times,” stated Sheriff Zollman.
Some large metro areas in the United States are starting to use drones as first responder (DFR). A quick internet search shows at least 50 departments nationwide have started a DFR program. When a 911 call is placed, a drone is then dispatched to the address and are usually first on scene. Drone’s deployed as a first responder can provide situational awareness before an officer even arrives. On average, police units were returned to service in about one-quarter of calls before they even arrived on scene. This is due to a drone being able to provide real time information, allowing them to respond to other more pressing calls.
City of Caldwell police just launched their DFR program which is the first of it’s kind in Idaho. The link to view their drone flights is at the end of this article.
Not everybody loves drones. It might be tempting, and maybe even understandable, to want to shoot down a drone you see operating over your property. However, this would be a federal crime as the FAA classifies drones as aircraft. If you suspect someone is using a drone to watch you or someone else, bring your concerns to that person or call the Sheriff’s Office. The airspace over your property is governed by the FAA and it can be legal for a drone to be there. Of course that doesn’t automatically make it ethical or proper. As mentioned above, private citizens have legal protections against the improper use of drones by others, including law enforcement.
If you would like to fly your own drone be sure to go to faadronezone-access.faa.gov. There are plenty of rules to know to keep others safe and yourself out of trouble. If you are interested in flying a drone for any commercial purpose, you will need to be Part 107 certified which involves passing a test.
If you’re interested in viewing publicly shared drone flight data from Caldwell police, you can visit https://tinyurl.com/y8kwshdj.
