By Thomas J. Sullivan–
In about 90 seconds, a licensed and trained Citrus Heights police officer can put one of the department’s three drones 150 feet in the sky, going quickly where officers once thought they couldn’t go.
The guiding hand behind the city’s new Unmanned Aerial System program is Chad Morris, special operations lieutenant for CHPD, who oversees the overall deployment of the department’s three drone units currently in the field and the Federal Aviation Administration license training required of each officer.
“It’s a total force multiplier,” Morris told The Sentinel in a recent interview, referring to the new aerial capabilities the department has in its toolbox. He prefers to refer the new devices as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), rather than using the term “drone,” although the terms refer to the same device.
The program “launched” last year and Morris became the city’s first licensed pilot on Dec. 14, 2018. By the middle of last month, Morris told the City Council that drones had been utilized about 50 times in Citrus Heights, with more than 10 hours of total air time.
One of the department’s drones features a thermal imaging camera, which has enabled officers to be guided from above as they conduct night patrols of the city’s parks and trails.
Four CHPD officers, including Morris, have completed a 20-hour FAA self-study course and passed their federal 107 FAA pilot’s license to legally operate one of the city’s UAS units. Twenty-six additional officers are also interested in obtaining an FAA pilot’s license, Morris said.
“As a law enforcement agency we have to follow very strict guidelines as we run our UAS program,” said Morris. “CHPD had to obtain a Certificate of Operation from the Federal Aviation Administration. The COA gives us blanket authorization to fly in all federal air spaces.”
Unmanned aircraft systems are inexpensive enough that almost any law enforcement agency can now afford one. Starting from around $400, a UAS runs on rechargeable batteries, with an endurance of less than 30 minutes.
Morris estimated CHPD’s initial procurement cost for the department’s three drones ran about $8-10,000, with an in-house study course for training officers running $250.
The department’s UAS devices can fly to a ceiling of 1,600 feet, but typically flies to not more than 400 feet. Its best operational altitude is between 100-150 feet. Storage cases to carry a UAS system can be placed in any police vehicle for quick deployment, Morris said.
Morris, a graduate of UC Davis, has been a CHPD officer for 10 years. He began his law enforcement career following a successful private sector tech career, first joining the Reserves and then applied for a full-time position. He rose quickly in the CHPD ranks and enjoys his role as Special Operations Lieutenant.
A self-described photography buff, Morris said when he bought his first personal drone, “it completely changed the way I looked at film and the way I took my own home movies.”
He quickly recognized the potential that drones might offer CHPD and helped draft a proposal to the City Council for the purchase of its own UAS units. In the same way, deployment of body cameras have been a game-changer for law enforcement operations, UAS systems have revolutionized many aspects of police work.
Morris credits Captain Ryan Gifford, of Metro Fire, for helping with the UAS program in Citrus Heights. He says Metro Fire currently uses drones to help check for hotspots and also assist in search and rescue.
The Citrus Heights Police Department is now part of a UAS regional team formed by Capt. Gifford that works with device vendors to share information and support other law enforcement agents who are getting their program started.
According to an April 2017 report from the Bard Institute, at least 347 state and local police, sheriff, fire and EMS departments in the U.S. have acquired UAS systems, with local law enforcement leading public safety drone acquisitions. That number had increased to 910 agencies by May 2018, and has likely grown since.
‘Revolutionary’ potential
From hazardous materials (HAZMAT) calls, locating missing children and responding to potential bomb threats, UAS technology is an important tool for law enforcement professionals and continues to change how police agencies can respond to a wide range of incidents can help keep the public safe, Morris said.
“It’s proven technology, and its overall potential in law enforcement is revolutionary,” Morris said. The communications signal of each UAS which is encrypted in real time, can stream live video from above to over 100 police officers with no loss of signal.
“The benefits to using this kind of UAS technology in rescue operations also includes reductions in cost and risk to personnel that come with using manned aircraft,” he said.
“In special operations, UAS systems can also gain crucial intelligence on a suspect’s location without risking the lives of officers when turning blind corners in a building or attempting to locate an armed suspect who has the high ground,” Morris said.
“We’re still in a learn-as-you-go stage, since UAS is rapidly evolving,” said Morris, noting that newer devices have better thermal imaging capability and night vision technology. “Some of the newer UAS systems also include a built-in loudspeaker capable of making public announcements from the air.”
Local incidents
Morris cited several cases where use of one of its UAS units provided quick response to another local police agency and aided in apprehending a felony assault suspect.
“Use of a thermal imaging UAS at night helped make it safer for our officers to know what they were walking into,” Morris said.
In another incident, he said CHPD officers were able to deploy a thermal imaging UAS during limited evening visibility to observe the rear of a residence where they could see a suspect armed with multiple weapons. The suspect moved to the front of the residence where he was later apprehended by officers.
“Another example where the CHPD’s use of a silent, thermal imaging UAS can prove invaluable is in its deployment over a commercial rooftop quicker than the fire department can put a ladder up,” said Morris. “It’s another way to apprehend rooftop burglary suspects and another important way to minimize risk to our officers.”
Privacy concerns
Morris acknowledged concerns from the public about the ongoing use of drones and concerns over personal privacy, but said CHPD “didn’t encounter as many barriers as some departments have had in securing funding and deployment of its UAS program.”
“There is a great level of trust between the public and law enforcement here that’s been established,” he said, noting that the continued use of drone technology requires the maintenance of that trust.
During a presentation Morris gave to the City Council last month, Councilman Bret Daniels described the drone program as “the best thing for officer safety in a long time,” but also noted privacy concerns from the public.
“I think its important that our public trusts us in using these,” said Daniels, suggesting the police department hold a future presentation covering “how we protect people’s privacy in using the drones.”
Morris said there are situations where the use of drones would not be allowed without a warrant.
“The only time UAS technology would be utilized on private property is with probable cause in response to a felony crime, some type of exigency, or with a warrant,” Morris told The Sentinel in a followup email, citing an example of searching for an armed suspect or in helping locate a missing person.
“Since UAS technology is so new, we are using the case law that has existed for many years related to law enforcement airplanes and helicopters as a guide to ensure we are respecting the privacy rights of our community.”
Morris also said the department opted to go beyond federal requirements in requiring each drone operator to be individually licensed by the FAA and have their own pilot’s license, in addition to the department holding a Certificate of Authority from the FAA.
“This is more than what is required for a public safety organization to operate UAS technology, but we feel it is worth it to ensure the highest level of professionalism,” said Morris.
The lieutenant is hopeful that the drone program will continue to expand in Citrus Heights, as drone technology continues to aid officers.
“We know that a UAS will one day be used in a missing child case,” said Morris. “The quick use of a UAS will make a very real difference in our ability to conduct our search successfully.”
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By Thomas J. Sullivan--
In about 90 seconds, a licensed and trained Citrus Heights police officer can put one of the department’s four drones 150 feet in the sky, going quickly where officers once thought they couldn’t go...
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