PULASKI COUNTY & ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — You can run, but you can’t hide because police have eyes in the sky and they can see you, even when it’s dark!
At least two police departments in our area have turned to using thermal drones.
One to find a missing young boy and another to find suspects trying to hide from the police.
A parent’s worst nightmare became a reality in St. Joseph County when their young son with developmental disabilities entered a cornfield and went missing.
Police and K-9s began to search, but no luck – until an officer with a drone showed up.
“It was already starting to get dark, so I knew the regular camera on there wouldn’t work, so the second I put it up. I didn’t see anything, so the thermal was the only thing I was able to rely on,” said St. Joseph County Police Department Cpl. Bryce LaCosse.
The thermal camera picks up body heat, and luckily, that is what led officers and the dogs to the juvenile.
If we didn’t have it, if I’m being honest, we probably wouldn’t have found him until at least daylight, unless the juvenile went out to the roadway at some point, said LaCosse.
In another cornfield in Pulaski County, another thermal drone was used, but this time it was to find someone who didn’t want to be found.
A woman was dropped off during a police pursuit and thought she was getting away, but the drone didn’t let that happen.
“The vehicle ended up crashing. They actually only found the one male at the scene of the crash. They actually started backtracking, so our range is about 3 miles on our drones, and the officers started flying the route that they took, and that is where they located the female on the roadway, and then as she heard vehicles, she dipped into the cornfield and laid down,” said Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Matt Pickens.
And cornfields, a popular place to hide.
A person left the scene of a crash and ran into a field trying to get away, but Pickens was able to track him down, adding that this equipment is a game-changer and a great investment.
A drone is cheap compared to a human’s life, so I mean getting those eyes in the sky and getting people more freed up and available is just priceless, said Pickens.
Pulaski County Police say they use the drones twice a week on average, and respond to surrounding counties when they need some drone assistance.
St. Joseph County Police say they are working to expand their drone program.