Brick Police Add Drone To Give Department Eyes In The Air

BRICK, NJ — If you see a drone hovering over a crowded event or an accident scene in Brick in the coming months, it may not be someone just being nosy or something nefarious, it may be the Brick Township police department: The department has purchased a drone and trained officers to be pilots.

The small unmanned aircraft system, equipped with a camera, was purchased using funding from the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s Comprehensive Traffic Safety Grant, the department said in a news release.

The drone will be used for the following law enforcement purposes, the department said:

• Search and Rescue: Missing persons investigations, Amber alerts, silver alerts, and other search-and-rescue missions.
• Scene Documentation: To document a crash scene, a crime scene, or other major incident scene.
• Situational Awareness: To assist decision-makers in understanding the nature, scale, and scope of an incident and for planning an effective response.
• Visual Perspective: To provide an aerial visual perspective to assist law enforcement personnel in providing direction for crowd control, traffic incident management, special circumstances, and temporary perimeter security.
• Tactical Deployment: To support the tactical deployment of law enforcement personnel and equipment in emergency situations

The use of the drone must be authorized by Police Chief James Riccio, the news release said, and officers will follow rules governing drones issued by the Federal Aviation Administration as well as a law enforcement directive covering drones issued by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, officials said.

Two Brick Township traffic safety officers have been trained and licensed to be drone pilots, officials said. The two officers attended schooling at Eagle View Aviation in Farmingdale and had to pass a 60-question exam administered by the FAA to become licensed, officials said.

The police department aims to expand the use of the drone in the future, including licensing more police officers as drone pilots and obtaining a drone equipped with night vision capabilities, officials said.

Photo provided by Brick Township Police