Blount County is bringing new drone surveillance technology to local policing.
BRINC Drones, a startup headquartered in Washington state, is contracting with the government to place new unmanned aircraft in the Blount County Sheriff’s Office inventory. The county’s board of commissioners signed off Thursday, May 16, on a five-year agreement to purchase drone kits, training and communications technology for BCSO. Costs will be divided over the next five years and total $94,995.
There are several factors that make the purchase attractive, BCSO’s Matthew Gilmore wrote in a recent memo to the county’s budget committee. A tech team leader for SWAT, Gilmore wrote that among other benefits, the drone technology “protects the county government from civil liability by reducing human endangerment or forcing a physical confrontation.”
Hardware
The hardware covered by the $95,000 price tag includes three tactical drones, trainings and livestream communications tech, as well as free replacement of defective units and repairs. The county is eligible to upgrade the drones twice: first at a 25-month mark and again 24 months later.
Deputies will first receive BRINC’s Lemur 2 drone, which comes with radio capabilities and thermal and visual sensors; it is meant for indoor operations. The purchase will later give the sheriff’s office access to semi-autonomous and autonomous drones with the company’s Lemur 3 and Lemur 4.
The Lemur 2 drone’s capabilities include an ability to generate real-time floor maps, facilitate two-way communication and produce high-quality visuals, according to information published on BRINC’s website.
The drone can also break glass.
The Daily Times reached out to a BCSO spokesperson Monday, May 20, with questions regarding the agency’s existing drone capabilities, but did not receive a response by the print deadline.
Impact
Working with BRINC going forward, Gilmore wrote, “highlights the Blount County Sheriff’s Office dedication to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance operational efficiency, ensure the safety of both officers and the community, and improve our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of the public we serve..”
Blount County, like other law enforcement agencies in the area, has an existing drone program. Both Maryville Police Department and Knoxville Police Department maintain their own drones; Alcoa Police officers use drone technology owned by their city’s fire department. And throughout the U.S., the technology has likewise become increasingly common. The nonprofit Electronic Freedom Foundation maintains a database indicating that just under 1,500 American police departments use drones.
How those agencies use the technology varies. The Lemur 2 drone can be used in search and rescue missions, hostage negotiations and situations involving hazardous materials, among other circumstances. In a recent report from the Louisville Courier Journal municipal leaders cited a need to monitor people using dirt bikes and ATVs through drones.
Locally, drones are often used following crashes. The tech, Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp told The Daily Times in a phone interview Monday, has been particularly useful in gathering information after car accidents; on busy streets and highways, sometimes using drones is a safer alternative to sending patrol officers to find specific measurements.
Crisp said the technology can also help in searches for missing persons. Drones, he said, “have a lot of applications we feel are important.” He noted that the Maryville Police Department is currently weighing the benefits of, like Blount County, contracting with BRINC for drones in the future.
Most Popular
Comments / 0