The Coon Rapids Police Department (CRPD) has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which many refer to as a “drone.” Using a UAS provides another vantage point for public safety operations while enhancing officer safety. This additional tool is one of many public safety options available to Coon Rapids Police Officers in the ongoing effort to keep Coon Rapids residents and visitors safe.
CRPD will use the UAS in a variety of public safety applications such as:
Finding missing, lost, or injured persons
Taking forensic photographs and/or identifying evidence in large scale crime scenes
Locate criminals attempting to evade arrest
What you should know about CRPD’s UAS deployment:
The UAS will fly no higher than 400 feet.
The UAS is equipped with a camera and infrared sensors, but absolutely will NOT be equipped with weapons of any sort.
The UAS will always be piloted by trained crew members, all missions will be logged, and the UAS will NOT be used for general surveillance or routine patrols.
Data gathered by the UAS’s camera will not be permanently stored except when necessary as part of an investigation. Data used in investigations will be erased once it is no longer needed.
Police officers trained as pilots and safety observers maintain all flight and maintenance records and must maintain visual line-of-sight of the UAS during flight.