The Bridgewater Police Department established the drone unit in 2017. A small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) utilizes Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that weigh more than .55 pounds but less than 55 pounds and are operated within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulation (14 CFR) Part 107, FAA Certificate of Authorization(s) and applicable laws specifically governing the use of drones (sUAS). The Bridgewater Police Department operates the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Thermal drone (sUAS), utilizing Dual cameras and FLIR technology used for thermal imaging.
The Bridgewater Police Department drone unit is comprised of 3 officers. 1 Officer has completed and earned their FAA Part 107 License and 2 are working towards those licenses.
All deployments and requests for use of the department drone must specifically be authorized by the OIC (Officer In Charge) or drone unit commander. The Bridgewater Police has adopted the use of drones to provide an aerial visual perspective in responding to emergencies and exigent circumstances, and for several scenarios including but not limited to;
- Other Requested Emergency Responses
- Search & Rescue Efforts
- Locating Fleeing Suspects
- Large Event Security
- Crime Scene/Crash Scene Documentation
- Requested Photography
- Aerial Mapping, 3D Model Creation and Surveying
- Tactical Overview/Search Assistance for SEMLEC SWAT
- Participating in the CEMLEC Regional Drone Team
- Assisting Bridgewater Fire Department with active fire suppression efforts through thermal imaging using aerial vantage points
- Community Engagement Activities
