How the ISU police use their new drone

The question gets asked at police departments across the nation: "How can we better assist our community?" Iowa State University police officer Tim Murphy found an answer simply by looking to the sky. This summer the police department obtained its first drone and already has four certified members, including Murphy, on its new drone team.

"Search and rescue operations are the primary focus of its use," Murphy said. "I, or one of the other operators, carry the drone with us when we are on duty. It takes less than 30 seconds to get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and start flying."

Since May, the drone was used:

• During Cyclone Welcome Weekend to interact with students.
• During the first home football game to monitor a new traffic plan.
• During a tactical situation when an individual barricaded himself in a house.
• During the National Senior Games this summer when track and field and golf events were held on campus.
• To assist the Ames Police Department attempt to locate an individual.

"As an incident commander, it gives me a visual I can't get any other way," said Michael Newton, associate vice president of public safety and chief of police. "What the drone sees is livestreamed directly to our command post. There also is a link that can be shared and, with it, you can pull up what the drone sees on your computer or phone."

The drone is used only for law enforcement-based missions, Newton said. Without a police mission, the drone is deployed only in public areas.

Any member of the public safety department may join the drone team, but each operator must be certified through an FAA test.

"Everyone on the team must have a remote pilot certification, so everyone who wants to fly it is sent to a training school for about a week that specializes in aerospace operations," Murphy said. "Every member of our team passed the test on the first try."

The drone also is used to help other departments and partners. Athletics will use footage to improve parking around the stadium and Mary Greeley Medical Center reviewed its outdoor lighting around the hospital.

About the drone

The drone, which weighs about five pounds, can capture real-time video and photos and be flown day and night. The operator uses a remote control with a display screen similar to a cellphone and a pair of joysticks to move the drone. The camera uses a high-quality and digital zoom that can magnify to 128 times. A thermal camera helps locate things in more dimly lit areas. Spotlight and loudspeaker attachments can be added.  

The drone has three additional cameras on its top and bottom that constantly are scanning for obstacles to avoid crashes. It can sense if someone or something tries to grab it and automatically avoids it, and it won't fly too close to structures, like buildings, that may lead to a crash. The drone, which can reach speeds of 45 mph, is battery powered up to about 30 minutes of flight time before needing a recharge.

"At all times we are able to fly safely," Murphy said. "Public perception of us having a drone has been very positive. We want to show the community that when it is out, it is a means of protection, not surveillance."

Operational rules

Prior to approving the drone purchase, Newton had Murphy draft a drone policy to outline its uses and ensure compliance with a range of federal and local laws.

"The Ames Municipal Airport is FAA-controlled airspace so some campus areas – including Jack Trice Stadium, Hilton Coliseum, the tailgate lots and the Veterinary Medicine campus – are all in the 'zero grid.' Because they're so close to the airport, there are no flights allowed," Murphy said. "We received authorization through an application to fly during the football season."

The drone can fly up to 200 feet in the air around Jack Trice during football games with waivers, and that height increases incrementally as it gets farther from zero grid areas. The drone can reach as high as 1,200 feet.

The future

Newton said drone uses could expand in the future, with it even acting as a first responder.

"We could fly the drone beyond our line of sight," he said. "It would allow us to survey an area for threats or needs before an officer arrives."