WPD purchases pair of drones for new program

The Worthington Police Department has purchased two drones with $10,000 grants it has received both JBS and the Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation.

One is a DH Matrice 30T drone, which is equipped with a multitude of equipment including a thermal camera, 48-megapixel cameras capable of taking both video and still photographs, a spotlight and a loudspeaker.

The other is a DJI Neo drone, a small drone weighing approximately 135 grams that can fly indoors. It has a 12-megapixel camera capable of taking both photographs and video footage.

The Maurice 30T will be used for tasks that include search and rescue missions to locate missing people, locating suspects who have fled officers, obtaining photos and surveillance to help support high-risk search warrants, survey natural disaster scenes, and to obtain aerial photographs of crime scene and serious crashes.

The Neo drone will have the ability to obtain photographs and videos in high-risk scenes such as flying to an area where there is a barricaded suspect.

Worthington Police Department Deputy Chief Nathan Grimmius will oversee the WPD's drone program and will be assisted by Officer Chris Hillesheim. Both have received the required certificates to fly the drones.