Orland Park police get new law enforcement tool

  • 2016-01-25
Police in Orland Park will soon have a new piece of technology that promises to help them prove be even more effective in their work.

The Orland Park Police Department will be getting its own drone, and will be the first in the state to do so. The small Gyrocam aircraft will be very lightweight and will be equipped with a camera that can take video or photos. Referred to by law enforcement as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), it will have the department’s logo on its side so it can easily be identified.

Six officers from the force are being trained in its use, and they will undergo testing to make sure that they have the skills they need to operate it effectively. The plan is for it to be used in finding missing persons, taking photographs if there has been an accident, and a variety of other situations in which public safety is an issue. Training manuals for using the UAS can be produced by a catalog printing company so that further members of the department can receive instruction in its use.

When using the UAS, law enforcement professionals will have to follow the new law that has been put in place to govern their use of drones. Known as the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, it seeks to balance public safety with the right to privacy.