Gwinnett police add drone to their investigative arsenal

Right now, they are using the drone to investigate serious traffic accidents, but commanders say they see lots of other uses down the road.

The Gwinnett County Police Department has added a drone to its investigative arsenal.

The device is currently being used to investigate serious traffic accidents, with the department's two certified officers using it to fly over incident scenes and take pictures and video. It gives them a more complete view, officials said, and saves time, too — which in turn means fewer blocked roads and traffic delays for the county's drivers.

"We're able to launch this thing," Lt. Chris Smith told Channel 2 Action News, "and within five minutes have pictures of the entire scene."

Several non-accident uses are possible in the future, including implementation during missing persons searches, "at-large crime scenes" and natural disasters, Channel 2 reported.

GCPD believes its the first law enforcement agency in the state to seek drone approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.