Cape May Police Get Their First Drone

CAPE MAY – Cape May’s Police Department, in partnership with AXON AIR, is now equipped with its first flying drone.
The drone will allow the police department to access “wooded areas, beaches, marshlands, and other estuaries” with greater ease, especially in missing person cases,” a release from the police department said. The drone, a DJI Matrice 30T, is equipped with a thermal imaging camera, a two-way microphone, a remote spotlight, a 40-minute battery, and all-weather capabilities that will allow for flight during nasty weather.
The drone can also transmit live video back to the police department.
Part of the money used to acquire the drone came from the WaWa Foundation’s “Heroes Program.” A press release from the police department said that Andy Loteck and Terrie Shaw, managers at the Cape May WaWa, helped make the donation possible. The rest of the funding came from the City of Cape May.
Members of the police department, along with Cape May firefighters, attended Atlantic Cape Community College’s aerial program to learn how to operate the new equipment. Lt. Kris Mazza is now equipped with a drone license from the Federal Aviation Administration. The police department plans to train and license four other officers by the end of 2023.
A release from the police department says that the drone will be especially helpful in assessing storm damage and locating citizens who might be caught in storm situations.
The drone can also be used to assess automobile crashes in such high detail that 3D renders of the crash scene can be created. The department says that this rendering technology can help the city’s detectives document outdoor crime scenes more easily.