The following article was posted to yourcentralvalley.com on January 23, 2020, by Shawna Khalafi

For two years, the Clovis Police Department’s drone program has been keeping officers and the community safe.

“We can fly a drone inside a building, inside doors, rooms, and clear it where it doesn’t put an officer in danger or a K9, so it’s very efficient,” said Sgt. Jim Munro.

The department has nine pilots and a variety of drones used for different situations, such as search warrants and police chases. The flying machines have features such as infrared technology and speaker systems.

“We can literally fly up to a residence or a vehicle or hover above a large crowd and give announcements,” said Cpl. Curtis Shurtliff.

The Clovis Police Department has big plans for the drone program in the future.

“We see UAV’s playing a big part in law enforcement,” said Sgt. Munro. “We hope that eventually they will respond automatically on calls and provide instant air support.”

Sgt. Munro says the drones are used as response tools and not for proactive surveillance.

To watch the video please go to: https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/clovis-police-is-putting-drones-on-the-front-line-to-keep-officers-safe/