Drug crimes help partially fund a new drone for Iowa police

CARLISLE, Iowa — The Carlisle Police Department now has some new gear that’s helping elevate its efforts to the sky, and it was partially funded by criminals.

The department used money through drug forfeiture, which allows police to obtain and eventually use assets from criminals violating the law.

Carlisle Police say this new drone will benefit public safety through its capabilities.

The nearly $17,000 drone can go up to 400-feet in the air and its camera can zoom-in up to 200 times. It also has wind stability, to help keep the images clear.

It also has thermal imaging capabilities, which can help identify objects in total darkness and through dense smoke, and can be used to measure temperature differences.

This feature would elevate search-and-rescue efforts by showing someone who is trapped in a river or hiding in a wooden area, for example. Thermal imaging can also show recent footprints that would be invisible to the human eye.

“Being able to put up one asset in the air to cover a large area to search rather than having hundreds of people walking arm-in-arm in the forest at night, really helps find who we’re looking for, quicker and easier. Hopefully, bringing a safer end to the situation,” said Sergeant Dave Larson.

In order to use the drone, officers need to pass federal licensing and department training. So far, only one officer has the licenses required to use the drone.

Officer Kameron Kinmonth is running the drone program and has been licensed to use the drone for around a month. He used the drone to help the fire department find hotspots during a recent wildfire, which allowed firefighters to put out the flames faster.

All seven officers in the department are currently training to be able to use the new equipment.

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