NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — What once took an entire police team can now be done with just two officers — and a drone.
That’s the reality for the North Little Rock Police Department, which has been using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) since 2008. Officer Jake House, a certified drone pilot and flight instructor, says the department’s drone program has grown from bulky helicopters to cutting-edge aerial tech — the latest being the Anzu Raptor T, a high-tech drone equipped with thermal imaging.
“It’s fantastic, it’s truly a force multiplier,” House said. “What used to take 20 police officers to do, now I can do with two and a drone.”
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The department now uses drones for a wide range of scenarios: from car crashes and missing persons cases to SWAT operations, natural disasters and large public events…