A Tahlequah Police Department officer is getting ready to teach a class so the department can use drones for assistance on calls.
Police Chief Nate King said two drones that will be employed for day-to-day operations have been delivered.
“Officer Cory Keele has been using the drones on [vehicle crashes] mostly to capture the scene when it happens,” said King. “Myself, I think it’s a better depiction than us hand-drawing a cartoon of a [crash].”
Keele has been a certified pilot for TPD since late summer, and King said several other officers expressed interest in the program.
“He’s a licensed certified pilot, and we’re thankful to all the fishermen and its organizers from the Back the Blue Fishing Tournament for purchasing the drones,” said King.
TPD obtained a Certificate of Waiver of Authorization through the Federal Aviation Administration, which allows staff to train and self-certify their pilots.
Keele is working on the curricular tests and flight school officers will have to complete sometime after the holidays.
