By Pat Culverhouse

Thanks to an $8,999 grant from Claiborne Electric Co-Op’s Operation Round Up, the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office is heading to new heights with the addition of some special equipment to the department’s arsenal.

Operation Round Up is a separate 501C3 organization funded solely by voluntary Claiborne Electric members and managed by the co-op.

A set of drones is now ready for service and two WPSO deputies have completed courses for certification as operators. Detective Spencer White and Sgt. Josh McCormick spent more than 40 hours training with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and they’re ready to put their newfound skills to work.

“Josh and I train together as much as we can to keep our skills proficient,” White said. “They’re (drones) pretty simple to operate and they have a lot of safety features, and we want to become very comfortable with them.”

McCormick said the drones have multiple usages which will benefit the department in a variety of scenarios.

“We will use them in search and rescue, crime scene overlooks especially in remote areas, to help track suspects who may be attempting to run and to help locate stolen property,” he said. “If there’s a situation that requires us to dispatch a special response team, we can use the drone to overwatch the scene prior to entry. That’s a critical factor to officer safety.”

One drone is equipped with thermal sensors which aids in nighttime searches. Another smaller unit can be used inside a building or residence to survey the area. White and McCormick say that’s one more officer safety feature the drones provide. 

Drones can be controlled roughly 1,500 feet from the operators and may reach a ceiling of about 400 feet. In some areas, permission must be obtained to fly the drones at that altitude, White said.

While becoming proficient in operating the equipment, White and McCormick also studied laws governing how they may be used as investigative tools.

“Basically we operate under the plain sight law,” White said. “If we’re flying over an area for some other purpose and see something suspicious, we can act. But we cannot just fly over a place because we think there’s something there. We have to have a warrant, just like any other search.”

Sheriff Jason Parker said the addition of drones to the office’s equipment list is another positive step for the parish.

“It’s a good tool for the department,” Parker said. “There are many ways we can use these drones for the safety of our officers and the people of our parish. We appreciate Claiborne Electric for giving us the funds to make this happen.”