FULTON, NY – The City of Fulton Police Dept. has now added a drone program, with five officers trained as pilots; the announcement made by Fulton Police Chief Mike Curtis.
“A drone flown by law enforcement is a powerful tool to both protect citizens and aid in arrests and deterrence,” Curtis said. “This program has been enthusiastically embraced by our officers and I’m extremely gratified to have it as part of our city’s police capabilities.”
All five officers in the program were trained by Oswego County Emergency Management Office Drone Coordinator John McGraw, Fulton Patrol Officer and PD Drone Coordinator David Wallace said.
“We worked closely with John, who helped us with the paperwork and walked us through every step of the process,” Wallace said.
Fulton PD drone pilots include Patrol Officers Wallace, Tracie Murphy, Kaitlin McCue, Josh LeVea, and Sgt. Jarrett Marino.
Wallace said the department is using an DJI-M30T drone that has thermal imaging capabilities that is especially helpful at night. “Even though our drone program has only been up and running for two months, it’s already aided us in everything from surveying structural fires to searching for fleeing suspects,” Wallace said. “It can also be used for search and rescue cases.”
According to the Fulton PD’s website(https://www.fultonpd.com/uas-program) : “It is also able to provide important information when conducting criminal investigations by providing an overhead view of an area or incident for ground personnel, safely clearing the interior of buildings or properties, providing detailed documentation of crime and accident scenes, and searching for lost or missing persons.”
Wallace said that “our officers are awestruck with its capabilities. It really provides an added layer of security for our citizens and brings an exciting dimension to local law enforcement.”
For more information on the Fulton Police Department, visit www.fultonpd.com, or find them on Facebook under City of Fulton Police Department.
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