The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has enlisted Adorama Business Solutions to help purchase and set up drones.
The department personnel have been training for 18 months with drones, including going through a drone pilot training course to receive FAA certifications.
“The use of drone technology as part of our operations enables us to respond to more situations than we could before, increasing both officer and Baldwin County resident safety,” said Lt. Daniel Steelman, of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Adorama recommended a range of drones to the department, with Baldwin County choosing DJI’s Matrice 200, Inspire, Mavic Pro 2, Mavic Air and Spark.
The department said the move to drones also is a cost-savings measure in that it is cheaper than utilizing a helicopter during surveillance missions.
The department has recently used drones to take crime scene photography, surveillance, monitoring traffic congestion and for public safety during large-scale events and helping with search and rescue operations. The drones also can be used to capture images quickly and safely during SWAT call-outs and getting internal shots of buildings so that officers can see room layouts and detect danger.
