From July 2020 to date, the Sacramento Police Department’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Unit has been deployed over 100 times and has been instrumental in over 60 arrests, according to an official Facebook post.
The department’s UAS are routinely deployed to search for suspects, clear buildings, and communicate with subjects, and have a color camera, infrared camera, speaker, and a spotlight.
In a video produced by the department, Officer John Azevedo, UAS unit, discusses the department's indoor UAS program. Not only does it have mini drones, but it also make use of micro-drones, which are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
"If we have a barricaded subject or some type of tactical incident, we can now get inside a vehicle or a house through small openings or a broken window. We can gather first-hand, real-time information on what we might be facing inside, which gives us an incredible tactical advantage," he said, adding his unit has a motto: "If you can throw a softball through a window, we can get a UAS inside a house to render it safe."
“These tools help keep our officers and the community safe, and SacPD is proud to be on the forefront of this technology,” said Sacramento Police Department Deputy Chief Dave Peletta. “These UAS allow our officers to make arrests and resolve potentially dangerous situations safely and effectively.”