WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — The Webster Groves Police Department now has two drones, one of them will be used for training and the other will be able to switch from 4K to thermal imaging in seconds.
“I can look at a building, I can tell you the hotspot of a building, but I can't see through the walls. Like some things we see in the Bourne Legacy movies, we don't have that capacity. So the drone simply can detect radiant heat versus background heat,” Webster Groves police Capt. Stephen Spear said.
Webster Groves Police Lt. Erich Weimer said there are several ways they’ll be able to use these drones including to help them find missing people or aid in the search for a suspect.
“Recently, we had an issue with a stolen car and someone who ran from the vehicle. We were able to use a drone from another department to help us with looking for that suspect,” Weimer said.
Spear said they’ve gotten some questions from residents about privacy and want to reassure them that a lot of the rules on the ground apply to the air as well.
“If someone's doing something in their backyard that they're not supposed to be doing, and they have a fence around the yard, I can't necessarily put a drone up above their yard and say, ‘Oh, look, I now know what they're doing,’ I still have to go through all of the obligations for getting a search warrant. Unless there is an immediate emergency need, if someone's in a life or death situation,” Spear said.
Eventually, four people in the department will all have a Part 107 drone license.
Spear said the footage they capture is protected by the Missouri Sunshine Law and can be requested by residents.
“Our lieutenant is going to be in charge of the unit and will be responsible for conducting random checks of all that footage, to make sure that we haven't had a violation and if there is, well, then not only do we have federal laws, that give our mandates, but we also have our internal rules and regulations that will hold officers accountable,” Spear said.
They will eventually open up the program to other city departments including the fire department and public works.