Unmanned Aerial Systems
There is one place in the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office where the Sheriff’s Vision
of a modern approach to traditional law enforcement literally takes flight. That place
is within the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Unit. Small UAS, often called drones,
are robotic flying vehicles capable of carrying a variety of payloads, such as cameras
and thermal imaging systems, in support of traditional units within the Sheriff’s
Office.
The Sheriff’s Office has ten deputies and two sergeants assigned to the UAS Unit.
All hold Federal Aviation Remote Pilot's licenses and are qualified to operate
advanced drones in a variety of settings and diverse array of missions. Any situation
where a live aerial view will be advantageous to deputies on the ground is an
occasion to launch a drone. Tactical viewpoints of SWAT missions, where the drone
provides an aerial view of the situation to the tactical commander, can be vital to
completing a successful operation.
Other circumstances where drones have proven beneficial, include when children
or at-risk adults wander away. The drone is able to clear vast areas quickly, as well
as provide necessary information to deputies as to the locations of hazards like
pools or ponds that should be searched right away. UAS allows the commander of
an operation to prioritize his resources and may significantly impact the outcome
of a search.
Search and Rescue has also found the use of drones beneficial to their operations
on rivers, lakes, canyons, mountain sides and other obscure locations within the
county. These are all situations in which they can be assisted by the deployment
of a drone. The drones are also called on to complete a variety of other assignments
such as crime scene photography, disaster assessment and to capture training and
other Sheriff’s Office activities.
The uses for this cutting edge technology continue to expand. Drone deployments
are expected to increase and provide assistance to patrol deputies, detectives, and
Search and Rescue operations as they serve our community.
"Drones overall will be more impactful than I think people recognize in positive ways to help society."
- Bill Gates -
28
Operations
SGT. SELIGSOHN - TEAM LEADER SGT. AUWAE - AST. TEAM LEADER
GREG ALMOS AARON CUDDEBACK DAMIAN FRISBY GARRETT GENNAI
JARED MELTON ADAM STOCKELAND MICHAEL GRIFFITHS