Top flight: Gurnee police are on the leading edge of drone technology
When a thief hit a Gurnee store recently, he had little reason to expect anything but a clean getaway. After all, there were no police officers nearby and, by the time one arrived on the scene, he and his loot would be long gone.
Unfortunately for him, the heist came shortly after the Gurnee Police Department launched its cutting-edge Drone as a First Responder program that can put a law enforcement presence anywhere in town — from more than 100 feet above ground — in a matter of minutes.
So when the theft report came in, police quickly deployed the drone from its climate-controlled base atop Gurnee Fire Station 1, located the suspect pedaling away from the business on a bicycle and tracked him until an officer could drive there and make an arrest.
“It can get us to a location before an officer can arrive,” Detective Shawn Gaylor told us this week. “It’s like another officer we can use as a resource, but from the air.”
While drones are seemingly as common as speed radar guns in suburban police departments’ crime-fighting arsenals these days, what sets Gurnee’s new drone apart is how it’s launched and operated.
Most law enforcement drones are kept out on the street with an officer who drives to the scene of an incident and deploys and operates the aircraft from there.
Gurnee’s new drone takes off from its perch atop the fire station and can be operated from nearly anywhere — including with an officer’s phone via a mobile app or a computer in the police station. With the press of a button, the drone soars to a location at more than 50 mph and, with no traffic along the way, can reach most parts of town within minutes.
That cuts down on crucial moments when a suspect is on the loose or in an emergency, such as when an autistic child went missing last month. Using the new DJI M30T drone, police were able to locate the child within minutes, in an area that officers could only reach on foot by navigating along railroad tracks and through dense brush.
The system also is authorized to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight, unlike most police drones which require officers to have eyes on the aircraft while it’s in flight.
Gurnee is believed to be just the second department in Illinois with a Drone as First Responder Program.
“This program represents a significant step forward in how we protect and serve the community of Gurnee,” Deputy Police Chief Jeremy Gaughan said in a statement. “Our goal is simple: give our officers every advantage in protecting the public while strengthening trust and transparency with the community we serve.”
Drone details
Some more facts about the drone:
- It’s equipped with thermal and night vision cameras, allowing it to operate in low-light or obscured conditions.
- It can fly up to 40 minutes at a time.
- Operators can navigate the drone manually, or by clicking a location on an on-screen map and letting it fly there autonomously.
- It can fly in rain, snow, wind and across a wide range of temperatures.
- It will be deployed in response to 911 emergency calls, missing persons reports and special events, but won’t be used for routine patrols or random flights.
A milestone
The DuPage County Drug Court recently passed a major milestone with its 500th graduate. Actually, the number is 506, after the Sept. 4 graduation ceremony.
The court started in 2002 as an alternative to incarceration for nonviolent offenders and to break the cycle of drug addiction, arrest and recidivism. Applicants plead guilty to the charges against them and enter into a contract which details the conditions with which they must comply to successfully complete the program.
Those conditions could include substance abuse treatment, weekly drug testing, participation in group recovery programs and job training. Charges may be reduced, or even dismissed, if they are successful.
“I applaud the courage, strength and resiliency demonstrated by each and every one of our graduates that led them to this point in their recovery,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said. “Their success serves as a beacon of hope to others that redemption is possible and that they too can reclaim their lives from the demons of their past.”
Palatine killer’s appeal denied
A state appeals court this week upheld the 75-year prison sentence handed down two decades ago to a man convicted of a gang-related slaying in Palatine.
Andres Reyes was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2004 for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Arnulfo Munoz of Carpentersville on Palatine’s northeast side.
Prosecutors at the time said the Dec. 2, 2000, shooting was revenge for an earlier gang altercation in which Reyes lost a tooth.
Reyes, formerly of Palatine, continues to appeal the case, mostly recently arguing that his 75-year sentence doesn’t take into account his youth — he was 19 years old at the time of the shooting — and rough upbringing.
The appellate court unanimously rejected the appeal in a ruling issued Thursday.
Reyes, now 44, won’t be eligible for parole until March 2076, according to state prison records.
• Do you have a tip or a comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.