Given the total cost and the number of drones cited in this story, Metro is buying some very large and sophisticated drones which are custom made for law enforcement and search and rescue in general. There are some excellent SAR drones which are available to the general public. Those can be had for up to $3,000 per unit. If those were the kinds of drones Metro was buying, the total cost would be less than $75,000. However, the specialized LEO drones can cost from $15,000 to $30,000 each. They have thermal cameras, night vision cameras, software and hardware that can give you the precise coordinates of a person or object from 3/4 of a mile away, and they have much longer ranges than any consumer drone, so that they can follow a perp for miles. They can also carry much larger payloads, and can, for example, carry and lower critical supplies to a stranded hiker somewhere. They have much longer battery life, and can hover over a scene and provide critical information for an extended time. To be able to obtain one of these, you must document the fact that you are a legitimate law enforcement agency.
Just reporting the use of drones does not speak to their actual value in Law Enforcement. As any business manager will tell you their is always a cost benefit investigation that needs to be completed first. So given the fact drones are actually being used, what value has been already been determined? Otherwise, we are just spending public money to give the police more toys. Law Enforcement already uses many helicopters and the public has yet to see, or hear of a cost benefit Are Nevada taxpayers simply going to sit back and allow the governor and legislature to spend an indeterminate amount of money for Law Enforcement toys? ..
Given the total cost and the number of drones cited in this story, Metro is buying some very large and sophisticated drones which are custom made for law enforcement and search and rescue in general. There are some excellent SAR drones which are available to the general public. Those can be had for up to $3,000 per unit. If those were the kinds of drones Metro was buying, the total cost would be less than $75,000. However, the specialized LEO drones can cost from $15,000 to $30,000 each. They have thermal cameras, night vision cameras, software and hardware that can give you the precise coordinates of a person or object from 3/4 of a mile away, and they have much longer ranges than any consumer drone, so that they can follow a perp for miles. They can also carry much larger payloads, and can, for example, carry and lower critical supplies to a stranded hiker somewhere. They have much longer battery life, and can hover over a scene and provide critical information for an extended time. To be able to obtain one of these, you must document the fact that you are a legitimate law enforcement agency.
Just reporting the use of drones does not speak to their actual value in Law Enforcement. As any business manager will tell you their is always a cost benefit investigation that needs to be completed first. So given the fact drones are actually being used, what value has been already been determined? Otherwise, we are just spending public money to give the police more toys. Law Enforcement already uses many helicopters and the public has yet to see, or hear of a cost benefit
Are Nevada taxpayers simply going to sit back and allow the governor and legislature to spend an indeterminate amount of money for Law Enforcement toys?
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