Police forces are currently turning to drones to assist in their work on a more regular basis than ever before. Drone technology offers capabilities a human body sometimes cannot, and can save officers from going into dangerous situations. Drone usage is up 518% in the last two years,and there are currently 347 agencies in the United States using drones for their Search and Rescue, surveillance, and information gathering needs, according to Bard College.
Here are a few of the best drones for police surveillance:
RMUS Law Enforcement Multi Mount Drone
The RMUS comes ready to deploy with a complete package that is synced up to law enforcement software and applications. This drone is equipped with upper and dual camera mounts, object avoidance, and is capable of longer flight times than most drones. It uses an X4S Hi-Res camera for daytime surveillance and a Zenmuse XT 640x512 30Hz 9mm thermal imaging sensor for night missions. This drone costs roughly $25,000.
Matrice 600 Pro
This capable hexacopter was designed by DJI, and has professional video and industrial imaging applications. It boasts a flight performance which has been enhanced and improved with a higher capacity for loading, and comes equipped with complete, ready-to-go integration. The Matrice, which also offers extended flight times and transmission range, will run you about $5,000.
RMUS Ride Along Drone
The RMUS Ride Along Drone is compact and meant to be used as an initial response surveillance drone. This drone is perfect as a first “eye in the sky” to provide situational and tactical awareness. You can fit the RMUS Ride Along drone into a backpack or small carry-along and use it in any situation until more advanced drones with better thermal imaging capabilities and daytime cameras can get to the scene. This little gem will cost you about $2,500.
Interceptor 850 Thermal Imaging Drone
The Interceptor 850 gives you a great bang for your buck. This drone focuses on thermal imaging and can be a great addition to any police force. It comes equipped with HD video capabilities of up to two miles in range. It can also fly for up to 50 minutes, and has a strong carbon fiber frame construction. The state of the art Interceptor will cost you about $10,000.
DJI Phantom 4 Advanced Plus
With this drone, you’ll be able to capture extremely crisp images and high-speed video using the 20 megapixel CMOS sensor which also has a mechanical shutter to prevent rolling shutter disported images. This drone also comes equipped with an autonomous flight system, allowing the drone to maneuver swiftly around obstacles. If your department is a fan of the original Phantom 4, try out the new and improved features of the Phantom 4 Plus.
Choosing the perfect drone for your police force can help tremendously in an array of dangerous situations, and just may be the addition you need in the next emergency.