Pickens Sheriff's Office Drone Unit

Drones provide deputies with an additional perspective during incidents where aerial information can improve safety, situational awareness, and decision-making. They can also allow deputies to search large or difficult-to-access areas more quickly without unnecessarily placing personnel in harm's way.

No. The Drone Unit is a public safety resource, not a program for routine surveillance of residents. Drone deployments are connected to legitimate law enforcement, emergency response, training, or public safety purposes.

The Drone Unit may support missing-person searches, search and rescue operations, warrant services, critical incidents, criminal investigations, disaster and storm damage assessment, major traffic incidents, crime scene documentation, and other public safety operations where an aerial perspective can assist responders.

There are circumstances where a law enforcement drone may legally operate over private property. Drone operations must comply with applicable federal and state law, constitutional requirements, FAA regulations, and Pickens Sheriff’s Office policy. When a warrant or other legal authorization is required, deputies must obtain it.

Yes. The Pickens Sheriff’s Office drone is configured to record during operational flights. Recorded video is securely uploaded to the agency’s Axon Evidence account, where it is managed as digital evidence in accordance with the Sheriff’s Office policy and applicable records and evidence retention requirements.

Yes. The Skydio X10 is equipped with thermal imaging technology. Thermal imaging can be especially valuable when searching for missing or endangered people, operating at night, or providing situational awareness during emergency incidents.

No. Thermal cameras detect differences in surface temperature. They do not allow deputies to see through the walls of a home or other solid objects.

Pickens Sheriff’s Office drone pilots must meet agency training and qualification requirements. Pilots operating under applicable FAA rules are appropriately certified and receive additional training specific to public safety drone operations and the aircraft they operate.

No. The Skydio X10 used by the Pickens Sheriff’s Office does not automatically scan, read, or catalog license plates as it flies. It is not an automated license plate reader (ALPR).

No. The X10 does not automatically determine the identity of a person or the registered owner of a vehicle. Its onboard technology can assist the pilot with functions such as detecting and tracking subjects or vehicles during a mission, but tracking an object is different from identifying who or what it belongs to.

The Skydio X10 itself is not an automated license plate reader. Drone video is recorded and securely uploaded to the Pickens Sheriff’s Office's Axon Evidence account. The aircraft does not automatically collect license plates from vehicles it encounters during flight or create a searchable database of those plates.