GOLDEN, Colo. -- Drones are becoming the latest crime-fighting tool and police officers in Golden are joining the trend to catch criminals in the 21st century.
“This is just another tool for us to put in the tool bag to be able to put in the service for a very specific type of calls, and hopefully end up getting a very positive outcome," said Golden Police Captain Joseph Harvey.
Police plan to use the drone to find missing persons, search for evidence, conduct traffic investigations, do road mapping and help the Golden Fire Department with structure and wildfires.
Police will keep the video for 90 days or until a case is closed.
Juniper Unmanned Aviation Manager Matthew Tompkins said drones used by law enforcement often raise privacy concerns among citizens.
“There are no regulations to ensure privacy. it's simply suggestions,” said Tompkins.
Tompkins said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has rules that govern commercial and public use, but added there's nothing in the books to protect citizens.
Golden police said they are aware of privacy concerns that come with using drones.
“We are doing this within the best interest of our community and within the best interest of doing professional law enforcement service, so we are going to follow our own rules and guidelines that basically states that will be doing this for official purposes only,” said Harvey.
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