Texas Sheriff’s Office Upgrading from Helicopter to UAVs

Thanks to a private donation, the sheriff’s office of Smith County, Texas, is bringing on board two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Located in the eastern part of the state, the 932-square-mile county boasts a population of roughly 209,000, as of a 2010 census, according to the county’s website.

As explained in local coverage from KLTV, which offers photos of the department’s DJI Inspire aircraft, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office is currently training six deputies on the use of the technology.

Once they ink federal approval, they’ll put the UAVs to use for situations such as criminal investigations or search and rescue – which will be a big time-saver over the current one-hour method of bringing in a Department of Public Safety helicopter from Dallas, the report notes.

Sheriff Larry Smith told KLTV that the drones will allow the department to “have a more complete investigation process.” The full coverage can be found here.