The Duluth Police Department will soon have a few extra eyes in the sky.
The department has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to use drones for official police activity, including searching for missing persons, suspects or suspicious devices. Officers will be trained to use the drones, and there will be one drone-trained officer on every police shift in case it is necessary to use one.
Duluth’s drones will have high-definition cameras, forward-looking infrared capabilities and both “daytime and nighttime abilities,” a department release said. Officers will begin drone training Wednesday afternoon.
Duluth is the second police department in the county to receive authorization for drone use. The Gwinnett County police department received authorization from the FAA in August.
