Putnam County Sheriff’s Office uses drones to keep officers safe

PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Few things are more dangerous for law enforcement than going through a closed door without what might be on the other side.

For decades, the only way into a suspect’s residence was through the front door, where law enforcement officers could be attacked or ambushed. However, the advent of sophisticated drone technology has changed the game for citizens’ and officers’ safety.

According to the Axon Company , which makes police equipment, drones are used by approximately 1,400 police departments across the U.S., including many in Middle Tennessee.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has three drones, including what sheriff Eddie Farris called an “inside” drone. The sheriff said that the inside drone is small, about one square foot, durable and maneuverable.

“The inside drone is much smaller and maneuverable and can scoot around and touch walls and doors and it doesn’t affect its flight any,” Farris said. “We can actually see what doors are closed and where hiding suspects may be.”

Farris also said that his SWAT team has a drone operator that can send the drone into homes first to clear the way for officers. News 2 obtained footage from a recent drug operation where tactical teams breached the front door of a suspect’s home.

The footage showed the drone hovering over armed units. When the door swung open, the drone went up a staircase and swept the entire first floor with a high-definition lens that immediately let troops on the ground know that part of the home was clear.

The drone operator communicated to the SWAT team via a comms unit worn by all officers before they moved in. Meanwhile, the drone, equipped with a light, went down the hallway and into multiple bedrooms to check for trouble.

When the drone determined that the coast was clear, the officers moved down the hallway and entered the rooms looking for evidence of drugs or weapons. They knew that the chance of an ambush had been dramatically reduced.

“We can look for weapons. There are a lot of things we can do before we ever get inside,” Farris said. “Before, we would have to go in…whatever door we chose and start clearing rooms not knowing if there was a bad guy [or] bad actor on the other side of the door with a gun or firearm ready to shoot us.”

The sheriff said that the larger drone has a higher speed and altitude capability. It’s used for crowd surveillance and searches and with its powerful zoom lens, allowing officers to keep tabs on suspects without letting them know that they are being watched.

Farris told News 2 that the small drone cost about $600, which he called a drop in the bucket to help keep officers safe.

“Now when we breach the door we can send the drone in and get footage, live footage, right then, and make good decisions and narrow our search down,” Farris said.

According to FAA statistics , nearly 800,000 drones have been registered in the U.S. Putnam County’s sheriff said that drones can also help supplant manpower in some situations, providing coverage that might have taken multiple officers to accomplish.

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