The Columbus Division of Police recently purchased new flying tools for crime-fighting.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant told WOSU's All Sides with Amy Juravich on Tuesday the department recently purchased five new drones. A Columbus police spokesperson confirmed the department purchased five Axon Air Skydio X-10 drones at a total cost of $172,000.
"We have them. We are in the process of creating our policy to make sure that we have the proper training, we have the proper policies in place, but we understand how important they are and we definitely are going to be utilizing them," Bryant said.
Bryant said the drones will largely be used for patrol. She said the drones won't replace the city's fleet of five helicopters.
"We absolutely need helicopters. You're talking about a city that spans over 226 square miles," Bryant said.
Before this purchase, Columbus police would request to use drones from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Many law enforcement agencies are adding drones to their agencies in lieu of helicopters. Some officials view drones as a viable replacement for helicopters in the future.
The city recently purchased two new Bell 505 Basic Aircraft helicopters for nearly $6 million. The city said the helicopters have better technology and are able to fly higher and produce less sound.
The city spends $2.1 million every year for maintenance, fuel and insurance on its helicopter fleet. There are currently 21 helicopter pilots on the city's payroll.
