SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - It has been about a month since the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office got access to its new drones, and the devices have already been used multiple times. From looking for missing people to tracking suspects running from officers in the middle of the night, deputies say the drones have made a big impact.
"If we are looking for someone, we do a grid search with 12 deputies, the rescue squad, walking as fast as your feet can travel and still observe evidence or look for clues of where a person may be," said Sheriff Paula Crouch with SCSO. "But with the drone, it can cover such a wide area at a time that it definitely increases the area that we are able to search for the person."
Deputy Jordan Cox is trained to fly the drones in different circumstances. One smaller drone can fly in small areas, including inside homes, or in complex outdoor spaces. He can also use their larger drone to get higher up in the air and search large areas, such as the shores of Lake Springfield or corn fields.
"One of the biggest benefits has been at night in the dark in vast areas, where even if cars could drive around through the area, you're limited to what that person or what those headlights can see," Cox said. "Where the drone, with the thermal imaging, helps tremendously to be able to pop up right off the ground like you were in broad daylight."
The drone is also equipped with a large spotlight that can be helpful in these dark situations. The department used it recently when they located a suspect lying down at night in a bean field. They were able to use the spotlight to show officers where the suspect was.
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