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New drone at the Wayne Police Department

By Sarah Shurge how nice it would be if the police de-
“It’s eyes in the skies for safety partment could use the footage of
purposes, for big events, and con- events for promotional purposes,
certs. It’s an extra layer of security and to view crowd size for planning
and captures video evidence,” said future events. But with a dual pur-
Lori Gouin, Downtown Development pose of safety,” said Chief Strong.
Authority (DDA) director. The DDA agreed, and getting a
Gouin is referring to the new new drone became a shared project
drone that the Wayne Police Depart- between the DDA and WPD.
ment (WPD) now has. “We’re committed to the well-
A drone, or unmanned aerial ve- being of the City of Wayne. This part-
hicle, receives remote commands nership is a great opportunity to
from a pilot or relies on software for help the public and keep them safe,”
autonomous flight. said Chief Strong.
In 2015, the Michigan State Po- In May, the DDA purchased an
lice became the first statewide police upgraded drone, while the WPD pur-
agency in the country to win ap- chased accessories for the new
proval to use drones in accident and drone.
crime scene investigations, accord- The WPD now has a DJI Matrice
ing to the Detroit News. 30T drone with a speaker, spotlight,
In November 2022, the WPD pur- and thermal imaging.
chased DJI Mini 2 drones. Wayne Police Lieutenant Robert Amore and Chief Ryan Strong overseeing a drone “It meets the standards by FFA so
The WPD used the drones for sus- operation. Photo by John Rhaesa it can be flown,” said Chief Strong.
pect apprehension and surveillance. from the Federal Aviation Adminis- very valuable tool for public safety,” “It’s another public safety tool that al-
“Drones are really good for crime tration (FAA), the DJI Mini 2 drones said Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong. lows us to keep the public and police
or robbery situations. They [police] were no longer able to be flown, par- The WPD team researched department safe.”
can utilize the drone to go in the air ticularly so close to an airport. drones that best fit the department’s The drone allows surveillance of
and protect businesses,” said Gouin. “During the short time with lower- needs.
However, due to advanced laws tech drones, we learned they are a “We talked with the DDA about See Drone, page 18

The Wayne Dispatch · November 2024 · 13