Orting Police Department's drone is equipped with a Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) system, which can see temperature changes in an area. It displays a variety of colors, making it easy for officers to detect living or inanimate things.
The OPD recently used its drone in early July to help locate a man who allegedly shot at a Pierce County Sheriff's Department sergeant. The suspect later crashed his vehicle into a ravine as the sergeant pursued it. Depending on staffing and availability, Orting uses its drone to help other Pierce County law enforcement agencies as needed.
Interim Police Chief Devon Gabreluk said the drone flew over the ravine at the scene to see if there were any hotspots and if the suspect was still in the vehicle.
"They were concerned about their safety, and they wanted to see if we can determine whether or not anybody was down in the vehicle still," Gabreluk said, because the suspect was armed.
The drone didn't find anything this time. The suspect was arrested the morning after.
Police previously used the drone to find a lost child who ran away from home in November, according to the agency.
Not all police departments in Pierce County have a drone with a FLIR system. Gabreluk said the only other local police department that has what they have is the Lakewood Police Department.
The OPD uses its drone for search and rescue missions, among other things. The drone is about the size of a beach ball, Gabreluk said. They acquired it in 2019 through a grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security. It cost about $20,000.
The OPD uses the drone with the FLIR system no more than 10 times per year, Gabreluk said. July marks the fourth time the department used it this year.
Officers have to get certified and have a remote pilot's license from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"It comes in handy quite a bit for our agency," Gabreluk said about the drone.
THE RULES
Jennifer Lee, technology and liberty project manager for the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, said some concerns that come with the use of drones include unprecedented forms of surveillance.
There is a potential for drones to be used for facial as well as license plate recognition, and Lee said strong policies must be in place regarding data retention. There also should be some form of oversight and accountability, Lee said.
"There's huge potential for mass surveillance," Lee said.
Local jurisdictions usually have rules they follow regarding drone use. Lee was unable to provide an estimate on how many police agencies in Washington state or across the U.S. use drones but said there are "a lot."
"If drones are deployed they need to be regulated without causing invasion of privacy," Lee said.
Asked about rules that govern how they can use the drone, Gabreluk said via email: " The Orting Police Department recognizes that all citizens value privacy, and many are uneasy about this type of technology in the hands of the police. Keeping these key points in mind, we set out to design a strict set of standards that we adopted into our policy documents that govern the use of drones within our department."
They have a website about their drone and how it's used, the department's policy about drone use, and monthly posts that identify when and where it's used, Gabreluk said.
"It is this transparency combined with our strict observance of FAA rules and regulations regarding the safe and appropriate use of drones in the commercial airspace, and the extensive training, testing, and certification of officers who become qualified drone pilots that creates the confidence and public trust needed to successfully run our program," Gabreluk wrote.
The agency has 13 full-time employees.
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