Elgin police test drone with infrared cameras, hi-def video

After two years of research, Elgin police have determined which drone they'd like to purchase, and are telling the public it's not about spying on them.

Elgin police held a demonstration of a Lockheed Martin Indago drone - technically an "unmanned aircraft system" - Thursday at Jack Cook Park on Plank Road. It has a built-in GPS and two cameras including infrared, and can see up to a mile away, shoot up to 20 megapixel photos and live stream high definition video, officials said.

Police department officials looked at dozens of models and decided the Indago - at about $50,000 - best suits its needs, Cmdr. Dan O'Shea said. Drones used by law enforcement can cost up to $180,000, he said.

Elgin police mainly wants to use drones for evidence photography and traffic crash reconstruction, O'Shea said. "A routine fatal crash takes about three hours of road closure and we could get that done in 18 minutes," he said. "That's a tremendous time savings."

Other public uses include inspecting water towers and bridges, analyzing traffic pattens, finding hot spots during fires, and doing flood mitigation, he said.

"We're not surveilling people, we're not spying on people, we don't have missiles in the air," O'Shea said. "That's what people think when they hear 'drone,' but that's not what we're talking about."

Law enforcement agencies in Illinois must obtain a warrant to fly drones over private property or for surveillance purposes, O'Shea said.

Under the Illinois Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, drones can be used in exceptional circumstances such as public health emergencies, to counter a high risk of terrorist attacks, or while attempting to locate missing people, he said.

The use of drones by government entities is heavily regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, O'Shea said.

Recreational users can operate drones if they abide by regulations such as not flying over moving vehicles or people in the open, staying below 400 feet and five miles away from airports.

Commercial and business users require FAA authorization, and government entities need to obtain an FAA "certificate of waiver or authorization" which includes stringent regulations such as having a pilot fly the drone alongside an observer while keeping flight and maintenance logs, O'Shea said.

Drones have a variety of uses, including public safety, film, agriculture, and even iceberg control and wildlife monitoring, said Lockheed Martin distributor Jon Rimanelli, who led the demonstration Thursday.

"They can save money and they can save lives, doing jobs that are dull, dirty and dangerous," he said.

Elgin police invited city council members, which ultimately will decide whether to move forward with the purchase of the drone, to observe Thursday's demonstration. A formal presentation to the council is expected to follow, although there is no timeline, O'Shea said.