Fort Wayne city police demonstrate drones

Four Fort Wayne city police officers will undergo a nine-day training program to certify them as Federal Aviation Administration remote pilot-in-command officers for two Typhoon H-Pro with Real Sense drones.

"We looked at a lot of different models and we really liked this one because it's a hex platform and it has six blades, it's very stable," Officer James Rowland said. 

The drones were demonstrated Thursday at the Ivy Tech Public Safety Academy on Fort Wayne's southeast side. The pair of drones cost just under $10,000 for the pair. Police say once the drones are in use, they will only be used under the authority of a search warrant, except in select situations. Those incidents include active shooter situations, barricade incidents, missing persons cases, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, geographical and environmental surveys and aerial photography and video images of motor vehicle accident sites. 

Mayor Tom Henry was on hand Thursday for the demonstration. He praised the purchase as a way to assist police in their duties.

"We have a limited number of police officers in an area that is pretty immense," Henry said. "Any time we can add technology to assist them in everything from Amber Alerts to hostage situations, anything we can use to assist them to raise the comfort level of our police department and of those affected is a good thing."

Aerial Support Unit officers will work in teams of two, with one officer assigned as a visual observer to assist with pre-flight, launch and landing procedures, as well as to maintain situational awareness and communications with other on-scene law enforcement personnel. The other team member, known as the remote pilot in command, will pilot the drone. 

The Fort Wayne Police Department will expand the unmanned aircraft system in the future to include nighttime mission capabilities. 

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