Every Second Counts – Using Drones to Search for Missing Persons

Technology can help improve public safety and enhance the Raleigh Police Department's ability to do its job. Using drones to locate missing people is an example of this. The Raleigh Police Department will talk about that and other technologies at a community event on Tuesday. It's organized by the Raleigh Police Advisory Board.

Drones Improve Efficiency of Search-and-Rescue Missions

Drones provide police overhead situational awareness for a variety of tasks. Those include searching for missing people and tracking wanted individuals.

The Raleigh Police Department has 20 drones. Two full-time and almost 40 part-time officers pilot them. The pilots are Federal Aviation Administration-certified and train regularly.

Drones can significantly improve the efficiency of search-and-rescue missions. Police drones with thermal cameras can identify heat signatures of humans and animals. The technology allows search-and-rescue teams to locate missing persons swiftly. That can increase the chances of a successful rescue.

Drones can also operate in adverse weather, ensuring uninterrupted operations. "They can access terrain that might be dangerous for humans," says Sgt. K. Thompson.

Drones also help RPD search for wanted individuals. Drones can provide a bird's eye view of the person's path, making it less likely that they will successfully evade officers.

"Drones can also serve as de-escalation and communication tools," says Thompson. "By sending a drone in first, we might be able to avoid escalating the situation with a suspect and communicate with them."

RPD sometimes encounters misconceptions about drone use. The department doesn't use drones as a general surveillance tool and has specific guidelines for unmanned aerial systems.

In most cases, drones provide live stream footage and don't record or capture images. The live stream can be accessed only through a temporary, encrypted link, and access is limited.

StarChase Allows Police to Track Suspect Vehicles

At the meeting, RPD will also talk about technology that allows police to track suspect vehicles without having to pursue them. This can decrease risk to pedestrians, motorists, and officers.

StarChase is a GPS tracking system that launches adhesive-backed GPS tags onto fleeing vehicles. This allows officers to disengage from dangerous, high-speed pursuits. They can track suspects from a distance.

Under the proposal to acquire the system, 20 RPD vehicles would be equipped with StarChase launchers. The system relays the tagged vehicle's location, allowing officers in the field to track the vehicle's location in real time

ConnectRaleigh Provides Crucial Information

Raleigh residents and businesses can register their surveillance cameras with ConnectRaleigh. By voluntarily participating, they can provide crucial real-time information to RPD, says Lt. J. Rigsbee.

There are two ways to participate.

The first option is registering a camera with ConnectRaleigh. Doing so informs police that a member of the community has a camera in a certain location. If a crime is committed in an area, investigators can go to the ConnectRaleigh registry to see if cameras are in the area and request video evidence from the camera owner. The owner can decline.

The second option is camera integration. This allows the Raleigh Police Department access to camera feeds in case of an emergency near the location of a shared camera. The camera owner may share all of their cameras or some of them. They set the preferences and can cut off access at any time. The sharing of feeds can improve response time and help keep the community safer by providing advanced details of the situation.

Community Conversation with Police Advisory Board

The Raleigh Police Advisory Board is scheduled to hold "Community Conversation with Raleigh Police Advisory Board: RPD and Technology Use" on March 31. This event is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. at the Chavis Community Center.