MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Police in Myrtle Beach are launching a drone program built to put a camera over some emergency calls before the first officer pulls up.
A grant from city council this week covers the first two years of the effort, including the aircraft, software and upkeep, according to Lt. Orion Cozene, who runs the program.
Pilots watching incoming calls can launch a drone straight to the address and pass a live picture to responding officers. Thermal cameras on board are meant to help find missing people, spot fires and hot spots, and help with ocean rescues, where a drone can drop a flotation device to a struggling swimmer.
Department leaders stressed the drones fly only when a call comes in and are not meant to patrol neighborhoods. Each one works within about 2.5 miles of its launch point and returns to dock after a call.
Myrtle Beach police have flown smaller drones since around 2016. The Horry County Police Department also uses drones, including during an active scene on Thursday, and an Horry County sergeant said the thermal view from several hundred feet up is most useful at night.
Section: More Myrtle Beach SC crime news
Filed under: Myrtle Beach SC Crime News
