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How 2 Monroe County drones assist deputies in day-to-day operations

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office purchased two drones in October 2018. A drone operator explains how they helped in different types of investigations.

FORSYTH, Ga. — Two drones at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office are helping deputies with cases around the county.

Kemeyan Colvard is one of four deputies trained to use drones at the sheriff's office. 

"Getting familiar with the drone itself, as far as the parts and how to get it up and going and getting it in the air," says Colvard.  

They purchased them over a year ago. 

"When you're looking for people out in the woods, your body sends out body heat," Colvard says, explaining how the drone technology captures heat images.

The drones work to give the sheriff's office a new perspective. 

Colvard says, "We have boots on the ground, so we can only see from the ground perspective. It kind of gives you that view that you can't get from the ground."

Specifically, the drones helped with high-speed chases as fugitives took off into the woods, and missing person cases. They even assisted with criminal investigations. 

Colvard says, "A murder that occurred in the county. It was used to take pictures of the crime scene, aerial footage of that."

It's a tool that deputies didn't have before. "We just had to immediately call a helicopter before reaching in our pocket and grabbing a drone, and we're able to take that step before we call somebody else."

So far, it's a small group of deputies with drone certifications, but over time, the sheriff's office plans to have a drone pilot on each shift. 

"The more people you have that can operate the drone, the greater chance you have to be able to call someone and get someone out as quick as you need them," says Colvard. 

The sheriff's office also used their drones to help the board of education with a traffic study on roads near schools.

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