LOOK, Up in the Sky, Not a Bird, Not a Plane, It’s An OCSO Drone

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and members of the OCSO Emergency Management Team on Friday showed off two Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (UAS) devices, intended to keep Orange County residents and deputies safer.

Known as the Dragonflyer X6, the surveillance system is to be used only in emergency situations and according to Demings doesn’t have intrusive capability.  If approved by the FAA, the UAS will gather aerial information that can be used to make tactical decisions to preserve life, he said.  These situations might relate to armed hostages, bomb incidents, domestic terrorist incidents and outdoor searches for missing persons.

“It [Dragonflyer X6] does not have the ability to fire any type of weapon and cannot fly at altitudes of regular aircraft,” Demings said. “The aircraft is not intended to be used to gather evidence or other information in violation of a person’s right to privacy.”

While Demings took pains to underscore that the Dragonflyer X6 would only be deployed in emergency situations, he declined to provide details regarding its range and reach.  “We can’t be miles away from this device in order to operate it.  We have to be in relative close proximity, which is a major distinction from military type drones,” he said.

Asked whether or not anyone in the public sphere could interrupt data transmission from the device once it’s in the air, Demings said, “it’s possible.”  He made clear too that, anyone who dared to shoot the UAS out of the sky will be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Demings said that OCSO had obtained two devices and related equipment at a cost of $50,000, from a federal grant.  He also noted that the Dragonflyer X6 devices were still being tested and their deployment was months away.

“We are trying to save lives with this device and to protect our officers,” he said. “If we save just one life, then its well worth it.”