Lee County Sheriff’s Office purchases drone with potentially life saving capabilities

LEE COUNTY, Fla.– A new drone has been added to local law enforcement’s arsenal. The gadget is equipped to drop off life-saving tools. 

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office purchased a ‘Matrice 300’ model drone to find missing people as well as locate suspects.

The drone is able to drop a payload weighing up to 10 pounds. It can also fly up to a mile and a half away from its operator. This could include a first-aid kit or extra gear, like ammunition. 

This technology could come in handy when finding lost people in areas of the county that are hard to reach, like in the mangroves or a heavily wooded area on land. 

It could also be used to track down suspects. The drone has a speaker that the operator can use to communicate with a run away subject.

“My family members don’t have to go into a situation blind” Sheriff Carmine Marceno explained.

All incidents where the drone is used can be streamed into the Real Time Intelligence Center located at the agency’s headquarters. Analysts can check the suspects background and report any previous criminal history.

The Sheriff’s office has 24 other drones and 100 operators.

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