KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Kennewick Police Department received a $31,000 grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority to buy drones to combat car thefts.
KPD believes the new drones will help them identify subjects and prevent car break-ins.
“Tools like the drone help us utilize those resources to impact stuff like auto theft,” Kennewick Police Commander Isaac Merkl said. “Giving our officers the ability, if we find a stolen vehicle to sit surveillance on it with that drone for a little bit to see if we can locate the individual doing it.”
KPD has eight officers who are trained to fly the drones. The officers are certified and have monthly training to make sure they are always ready to help.
The drones will serve multiple uses including surveying an area, getting aerial views of a crime scene, getting better looks at wildfires, and keeping officers away from dangerous areas.
“They’re high definition cameras which allow us to see the feed live, which gives our officers the ability to make real-time decisions and really impact both what’s occurring on the ground and get our resources where we need them the most,” Commander Merkl said.
The drones are equipped with HD and infrared cameras. The video is sent live to the driver and can help find and identify suspects.
Preventing car thefts is part of a larger project across Washington State. The Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority has given out $2.7 million this year in grants to 41 different Police and Sheriff’s offices across the state.
