The Wheeling Police Department has amped up its equipment, adding its newest sensation – a drone.

“We certainly recognize the potential of having a drone and we wanted to do it right,” Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said.

The drone can help in anything the police want to put eyes on, like rescue operations, traffic monitoring, and S.W.A.T. applications.

"Apprehension if we have a fleeing suspect we need to monitor,” Schwertfeger said. “The fire department will certainly be requesting to use this along with other municipalities throughout the region will be requesting."

And among its uses, the devices is loaded with high-tech capabilities, like its camera.

"It’s equipped with the Zenmuse H20T camera, it’s a four-in-one camera. it has you wide, angle lens, your zoom, your IR capabilities and a range finder," Cpl. Jason Martin said.

The inferred light is used to find heat motions in the night and day.

"We will be able to see things over the hill, where we don’t have eyes on and we can use those IR capabilities to find somebody hiding in the brush, hiding behind an object where there is still a heat signature you can see from the camera you wouldn't be able to see from the naked eye," Martin said.

This was made possible through a grant from the federal government and the city of Wheeling.

"I’m just really excited about the project,” Schwerfeger said. “I haven't been this excited about a piece of equipment in a long time.”

This weekend will be the first time the department will use the drone for safety measures as many events are happening in the city.