The Windsor Police Service now has the ability to view the city from above.
Officers on Wednesday demonstrated the Aeryon Labs Sky Ranger 460, which is a high-tech drone device — referred to by police as a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System ( RPAS.)
Six officers are now trained on the device and certified by Transport Canada, including trainer Constable Matt Cincurak.
He says the drone can automatically follow a body floating in the river or person walking through the woods.
"Once the item is spotted or the subject is spotted, they can identify that person by selecting it on the screen and then it will track it" explains Constable Cincurak. "If we're unable to see it, for instance if we're looking at the screen or monitor and we're trying to find a missing person. There's a function on this will start picking up movement."
He says the unit can help police do a more effective job in documenting evidence.
Windsor police Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Trainer, Constable Matt Cincurak, October 2, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
"Crime scene examination where we will be providing aerial photography of crime scenes to document the scene as it is in physical evidence on site that is visible" says Constable Cincurak. "These aerial images provide the court with an easier medium to observe crime scene and with greater detail than solely relying on traditional ground-based photography methods."
He says the search ability of the drone makes it a valuable tool.
"To assist in locating persons lost in challenging or inaccessible environments, to complement ground-based rescue efforts. To provide an aerial overview to assist in determining high priority areas and aiding quickly conducting cursory searches for time dependent searches, forward looking infrared imagery to assist search managers in coordinating critical search efforts."
The four-rotor drone can operate up to 120 metres in the air, is able to work in light rain and wind up to 50 km/h.
It has an optical camera that can zoom in close to a kilometre away and an infrared camera for night use.
Police officials won't say how many of the drones they have or what the cost to purchase them was.