ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) – The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state with nearly 500 employees, is now welcoming the newest addition to their team, drones.
Anderson County representatives said it was a normal day for them to be called in because of a car accident, chase or shooting.
Recently, I received a call from an apartment complex.
“We came across a group of people and we knew one person could be a very dangerous suspect,” said Drone Force Commander Jon Norton.
With the help of their new drone, they caught him.
Norton said. “We were able to use smart tracking that actually tracked the person, so we never lost track of where he went.”
Tracking fleeing suspects is just one of the drone’s many capabilities.
It also comes in handy when chasing a car.
“As long as it’s within range of the drone, it keeps zooming in on the car,” Norton said.
It also allows delegates to understand what they’re walking into before they go to the field, Norton said.
“We can tell them there’s a hot spot in one of their areas and they’re attacking, and it could be a suspect, it could be an animal, it could be nothing,” Norton said.
He said drones could potentially save lives.
“It allows them to examine things they might not have known before,” Norton said.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said they hope other agencies across the state will learn about trends in the convergence of law enforcement and technology.