The Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department welcomed the recent arrival of a drone. The recent arrival now means that both the sheriff's office and the Yazoo City Police Department each have additional tools, such as drones, to assist with search and rescue efforts as well as assisting in suspect pursuits.
“This drone will mainly be used for search and rescue operations, but the opportunities are endless,” said Sheriff Jeremy McCoy. “With thermal imagery capabilities it greatly increases the chances of finding people even in the dark.”
The Yazoo County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a drone for the sheriff’s department last April at a price tag of $9,456. It was during that previous county board meeting that McCoy shared the urgency for having such an advanced piece of technology for the department.
“They are expensive, but it’s basically the equivalent of having a helicopter,” McCoy said, during the April meeting. “At any time, we can put it in the air and look all over Yazoo. It has heat-seeking capabilities, which would help in wooded areas. And it would help with the manpower when we don’t have enough deputies to search. It would help with safety, being able to see what or who we are looking for. It would be a great asset for a small department.”
The sheriff’s department used drones from outside companies twice within a one-month period, which also contributed to the arrest of a wanted suspect in rural Yazoo County. McCoy added that the drone could also assist the department in the possibility of escapees from the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility.
“It will be well worth it considering what we are dealing with,” McCoy said, in reference to recent issues at the county jail. “If we had this that night of the escapees, we could have had those guys quickly.”
The arrival of the drone at the sheriff’s office marks the second acceptance of drone technology with local law enforcement. Last April, the city of Yazoo City also accepted the donation of a thermal drone from Hydraulex of Memphis to the Yazoo City Police Department. The police department assisted the company with the recovery of stolen hydraulic pumps. The parent company, BBB Industries, donated the drone at no cost to the city as a token of their gratitude. The drone will be piloted by Richard Speight and will be used in daily operations, including apprehensions, search and rescue and diving operations.
“We are dedicated to providing safety in Yazoo County and with the assistance of cutting edge technology, we are one step closer,” McCoy said.
In other sheriff’s office news, the department will also host its first summer boot camp on June 17-21, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Yazoo County Emergency Management Complex at 2201 Gordon Ave. in Yazoo City.
The program will focus on discipline, structure, character development and physical fitness.
