Drones To Help Mahwah Cops Get A Bird's-Eye View Of Crime

MAHWAH, NJ — The police department is taking to the skies thanks to a fleet of three drones that will assist with a variety of tasks like search and rescue situations and finding elusive suspects.

The fleet's flagship member, a DJI Matrice 210 RTK drone, has a 4-mile flying radius, top speed of 65 miles per hour, a thermal sensor that can film with 4K resolution, and a GPS system that is accurate within a centimeter. The $25,000 drone, one of the most advanced available to law local enforcement agencies, was purchased with funds seized during criminal investigations.

Chief James Batelli said the team will work together with the local Office of Emergency Management and Fire Department in a number of capabilities and applications.

The drones can: Assist with search and rescue operations, such as for lost hikers and during amber and silver alerts, assess damage after natural disasters, help reconstruct motor vehicle accidents, and get to barricaded suspects and hostages.

The other drones, a DJI Spark and DJI Phantom Pro Version 2.0 have 15- and 30-minute flight times and can fly for 15 and 30 minutes at a time, respectively.

Eleven police officers volunteered to serve on the drone team. Sgts. Stacy Conley and Michael Blondin supervise the team. They will take a two-day training course and must pass a test to become FAA-licensed drone operators.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Members of the Mahwah Police Department's Drone Team with one of the department's 3 new drones. (Courtesy of Mahwah PD)