Wayland Police Launch Drone Unit for Search and Rescue Missions

The Wayland Police Department has launched a new drone unit to enhance public safety and improve response times.

According to a MetroWest Daily News report, three Wayland officers — Zak Walker, Shane Bowles, and Steven Kovatsi — completed training last year. The department purchased the drone using about $10,000 from its existing budget.

“Search and rescue is a big part of what we plan on doing,” said Mark Hebert, Wayland's interim police chief, in a statement shared with the MetroWest Daily News. “It (the drone) has an infrared camera on it, so it can see things that the naked eye can't. If we have a missing elderly person or a young autistic child missing, we wanted to have this tool for our search and rescue efforts.”

Beyond search and rescue, the drone can help locate hidden suspects and monitor large gatherings, such as the Boston Marathon.

Hebert added that the department was inspired to obtain a drone after demonstrations by the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council and by observing drone use in other departments.

Members of the police department have already used the drone since it was put into operation earlier this year. In one instance, the drone helped a dive team by quickly locating a submerged car in the Sudbury River and guiding responders to the scene within minutes.

The drone is housed at the Wayland police station and can be deployed by any of the three-unit members when needed.