CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – From tracking fleeing suspects to assessing accidents and storm damage, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office drone team has been put to the test recently with multiple search missions.
The team members are experts in an increasingly important type of law enforcement work.
“This [drone] here has a much bigger camera. The camera is able to zoom,” said Sgt. James Norwood, a member of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office drone team, as he describes one of the drones the team has used on multiple occasions this month. “You can read license plates from about a half-mile away.”
On Sunday, February 5th, 80-year-old Alfred Blankenship was reported missing by his family in Oil City. Deputies searched for him for hours. Temperatures dipped to 46 degrees that night. Sergeant Norwood says without the drones who knows what might have happened.
“When we were searching for the elderly gentleman in Oil City recently, this is the drone that first spotted him,” said Norwood, as he pointed to one of the office’s drone units. “One drone pilot had this in the air and the other drone pilot had the Maverick Two in the air looking. Without a doubt if we hadn’t had the drones in the air that night we would not have found him.”
Blankenship was found in the woods behind Oil City Elementary Magnet School, about a half-mile from his home.
He was taken to a local medical center and checked out before being returned to his family.
