In Belleville, Illinois, drones were used as part of a law enforcement investigation into a school threat this week. Both police and fire crews used their drones to monitor the school and in helping to determine whether there was as a credible threat. Belleville Assistant Chief J.P. Penet said, “Our job was to operate in the air and provide visual observations of the rooftops to make sure the rooftops were clear. [Both police and fire] each have identical devices. When one [was] up in the air the other [was] changing batteries and getting set and the first one comes down, the second one goes up so we can maintain constant vigilance.” Penet added that both police and fire crews have used drones in the past for locating missing persons, battling flames, water rescues and other types of emergencies. “It’s a much quicker and more responsive visualization of the aerial environment,” said Penet.

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