Lt. Penwarden
Ofc. Montemayor
Ofc. Grubb
In 2023, the DeSoto Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program acquired state of the art platforms, and expanded greatly. The program is currently r u n by the Program Coordinator, Lt. H. Penwarden. The program began with just one small aircraft and has since evolved to eight aircraft to include two Brinc Lemur 2’ s, and several other task specific drones. The City has an approved Certificate of Authority with the FAA to operate within the territorial boundaries of DeSoto under FAA rules. The program currently has six certified pilots who work together to assist Police and Fire on various calls that include: pursuits, robberies, burglaries, active shooter, perimeter establishment, aerial search; traffic accidents, investigations and assessments; storm damage assessment; fires, hazmat incidents; search and rescue; and assist regional SWAT operations. The UAS can also be used for low light support with attached thermal imagery. Our pilots are certified FAA pilots, thus allowing them to assist in the following: Economic Development (Current images of land to be used for Planning and Zoning and City Council); Parks and Recreation (Inspection of fields, turf, structures, etc.); City buildings (roof and tower inspections; City code inspections, aerial inspections of ongoing construction within the City; Public events (aerial video/photos of City hosted parades and other similar events).
Cpl. Krekel
Ofc. Morales
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