How Tybee Police are using drones on the island

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Tybee Island Police officers have upgraded the technology they use to keep the island safe.

Using drones, they can work even faster to find missing people and prevent crime on the island.

Drones are a resource for officers on the island, helping them stop crimes before they can even happen.

“It’s never a last resort. It’s usually our first choice, because we always want to get eyes in the sky as quick as we can,” said Tybee Island Police Assistant Chief, Bertram Whitley.

Tybee Island Police said this drone technology is a gamechanger, helping them see more than they ever could before.

“We’ve utilized our drones to locate missing children on the beach, endangered adults that may have become lost or separated from their families,” said Whitley.

They’re especially helpful in the aftermath of storms—a huge resource in the midst of hurricane season

“To conduct damage assessments on city buildings and private property if necessary. We’re able to locate down trees and down lines much quicker when we utilize our drones,” said Whitley.

Just last month—officers used them to safely locate a gator roaming around the island.

“We were trying to get eyes on the alligator and try to keep the general public away, we were able to actually locate the alligator and noticed that he was moving away from the beach and not onto the beach, so it helped us in that situation,” said Whitley.

Theses drones allow officers to see anywhere from an extra 50 to 100 feet in the air.

In the future, the department hopes to implement the drone as a first responder program.

“This would allow our pilots to actually pilot a drone from a remote location,” said Whitley.

Allowing officers to get an eye on a scene, before an officer arrives.

“That would make them safer,” said Whitley.