The Michigan State Police say they are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to become one of the first police agencies in the country to be authorized to fly unmanned aircraft, or a drone, to support public safety efforts.

The MSP says they purchased an Aeryon Skyranger in September 2013 thinking of the future potential of this technology to support law enforcement missions. According to the MSP, the device was selected because of its high rating in the federal Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety survey. The survey evaluated different systems for safety, capability and reliability. The MSP has since been working with the FAA to meet all of the safety and training requirements and in February 2014 received certification to conduct training flights with the drone near the MSP training academy.

The MSP says a site visit with the FAA is scheduled in the near future to review the request for authorization to fly the drone for law enforcement support elsewhere in the state. Some of the potential missions could include search and rescue, crime scene and crash investigations.

 

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