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.

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Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman