Police utilize ‘Eye in the Sky’ to fight crime

BUTLER TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A growing number of police departments in northeastern Pennsylvania are using drones to help deter and solve crimes and keep the public safe.

Local police chiefs 28/22 News spoke with say the drones are not toys. They are proving to be a life-saving tool in their communities. They are known as the “Eye in the Sky.”

Butler Township Police say it helped them track down a man wanted for an attempted stabbing.

“I think many times the public just thinks of it as a toy, things like that people fool around with, but it actually is an aircraft. They are very advanced. They have sophisticated capabilities and they are complicated to fly,” said Butler Township Police Department Chief Bill Feissner.

The cameras on these drones are very hi-tech, and high resolution.

In Butler Township, 28/22 News observed a drone right could fly about 100 feet in the air, and with the quality of the video, authorities could see what’s happening on the ground.

Police and EMS can see the situation with any kind of event.

Hazleton City Police say the drone has helped keep their officers safe in tense situations.

“The Sugarloaf Township Police Department recently used a drone to check a house for a person they say could have been hostile toward officers,” said Hazleton City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Mario Howey.

“A small drone you’re able to clear homes with it; schools, commercial buildings, whatever. It allows us to stay outside and at least have a heads up on what’s inside,” Sugarloaf Township Police Chief Josh Winters explained.

Drones cost anywhere from $1,000 to as much as $20,000.

The police chiefs 28/22 News spoke with say the drones are not used to “spy” on people. They are used to investigate crimes, help in searches, and provide security at public events.

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