Texas Police News.jpg
                  

  


 

Nearly 2 dozen Houston-area law enforcement agencies getting help to fight crime with drones
Houston
   
 
More Today's News:
ߦ   Hundreds travel to Austin to call on Abbott to end Operation Lone Star
ߦ   Missing Woman Found Possibly Dismembered in Texas; Suspect Allegedly Searched ‘How to Be a Serial Killer’
ߦ   Police News Links
ߦ   Search underway for missing 13-year-old twins last seen swimming near Pleasure Pier in Galveston
ߦ   Spring Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Killing Ex-Girlfriend’s New Boyfriend
ߦ   Texas AG Paxton Loses Legal Case To Butterfiles!
ߦ   Trial for North Texas fitness influencer who allegedly scammed customers set to begin Monday
ߦ   Woman banned from H-E-B after allegedly slapping employee in the face in Spring, deputies say
ߦ   Alvin Police - Weekly Crime Report
ߦ   Area Law Enforcement Officials Warn Against ‘Street Takeovers’
ߦ   Attorney General Paxton’s Law Enforcement Round-Up: January 16–31, 2023
ߦ   City of Lufkin rolls out new emergency alert system
ߦ   DEA Diversion Enforcement News
ߦ   Domestic Violence Murder Conviction by Jury
ߦ   Friendswood Police Release Annual Crime Report
ߦ   Galveston police reviewing whether patrol unit hit crash victim
ߦ   Man accused of assaulting La Marque officers held on $825,000 bond
ߦ   Mother Who Drowned Her Two Children Sentenced to 40 Years
ߦ   Western North Carolina Dog Fighters Sentenced to Federal Prison
ߦ   'Oldest and Longest Serving Peace Officer in the World' Passes At The Age of 99

 
Search Archives:
The drones can assist law enforcement with catching catalytic converter thieves and help with hostage and barricaded suspect scenes.

HOUSTON — Nearly two dozen police agencies in the Greater Houston area are getting extra air support to fight crime — in the form of drones.

Many departments have been helping test the new technology to fine-tune its best uses. Some are calling it the “future of policing."

Memorial Villages Police Department is one of several agencies that are beta-testing drones for police work. The small aircraft can be operated off a laptop or a cell phone

Larry Boggus is the drone officer for MVPD. He said he can either type in an address or simply drop a pin to dispatch the aircraft. 

It flies at 26 miles an hour and has a range of about 25 miles.

So how have the extra eyes in the sky been helpful?

“We've had many calls of people on roofs. So, one instance might be like a school roof," Boggus said. 

RELATED: Heatmap shows where carjackings are happening most in Houston

Larger agencies, like the Katy Police Department, may use drones in large commercial settings. 

“At Katy Mills Mall where they are having catalytic converter thefts, now they can deploy off the roof and observe what's going on in the parking lot," Boggus said.

The airborne camera also assists officers with threats behind houses or in difficult terrain.

“We're able to send a drone to the bayou and see what’s going on if someone were to flee from us," Boggus said.

The drone even helps during hostage and barricaded suspect scenes.

Boggus uses FlightAware apps and thermal imaging to successfully operate his drone. He also has a mobile drone set up, which is operated from the trunk of an SUV. 

Set up to launch time? Just 45 seconds.

RELATED: Nearly 4,000 guns were stolen from vehicles in Houston over last year, ATF says

MVPD Chief Ray Schultz points to big future goals, like having dispatchers, rather than dedicated flight officers to operate the drones. 

“They can put the drone on the scene before the officer gets there,” Schultz said.

An even bigger goal? Using a caller’s cell phone to guide the drone. 

“Anytime you make a cell phone call, that longitude and latitude are captured by 911. The goal is to push that information straight into the system. Even if you don't where you’re at, it’s going to go to where your phone is," Schultz said.

It’s a bird's eye view of what law enforcement may look like in the near future.


Post a comment
Name/Nickname:
(required)
Email Address: (must be a valid address)
(will not be published or shared)
Comments: (plain text only)
Printer Friendly Format  Printer Friendly Format    Send to a Friend  Send to a Friend    RSS Feed  RSS Feed
© 1999-2023 The Police News. All rights reserved.