Fighting crime from the sky: Wendell police implement drone program to improve safety and efficiency

Name: Fighting crime from the sky: Wendell police implement drone program to improve safety and efficiency
Uploaded: 2025-07-31T23:00:03.000Z
Duration: 2 min 31 s
Description: The Wendell Police Department is integrating drones into their public safety efforts, investing $20,000 in two drones to provide a vital second perspective, crucial for rapid responses in challenging conditions.

The Wendell Police Department is integrating drones into their public safety efforts, investing $20,000 in two drones to provide a vital second perspective, crucial for rapid responses in challenging conditions.

Posted 7/31/2025, 11:00:03 PM Updated 8/1/2025, 12:31:02 AM

ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS LOOKING

INTO THIS AND THE SBI IS ON ITS

WAY. ALL RIGHT, CARLY, THANK

YOU. A NUMBER OF POLICE

DEPARTMENTS IN OUR AREA ARE

TURNING TO DRONES FOR SOME

EXTRA ASSISTANCE IN KEEPING

OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.

>> AND ONE WAKE COUNTY

DEPARTMENT HAS JOINED THE LIST

TODAY. WRAL'S KIRSTEN CLARK GOT

A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT WHEN DELL'S

POLICE'S NEW EQUIPMENT AND THE

NEW SKILLS IT BRINGS TO THE

POLICE FORCE.

>> THE DAYS OF ONLY HAVING

BOOTS ON THE GROUND ARE NOW

OVER FOR WENDELL POLICE.

THE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALLY

IMPLEMENTED ITS NEW DRONE

PROGRAM CALLING OFFICERS TO SEE

AND HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING ON

THE SCENE BEFORE THEY EVEN

ARRIVE.

>> THIS IS ONE OF THE

DEPARTMENTS TO DRONES. SERGEANT

TODD WILLIAMS SHOWED US ON

THURSDAY. HE SAYS THE TOWN

BOUGHT THE EQUIPMENT FOR

$20,000, BUT THE RETURN IS

PRICELESS. GOING TO HELP US.

>> NOWHERE TO GO. HOW QUICK TO

GET THERE AND

>> YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE WALKING

INTO. HE TELLS US THE DRONES

WILL BE USED TO LOCATE MISSING

OR ENDANGERED PEOPLE LOCATE

CRIMINAL SUSPECTS. TRAFFIC

CRASH IN CRIME SCENE

RECONSTRUCTION AND TO OVERSEE

SPECIAL OPERATIONS LOT AROUND

AGENCIES HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY.

SO WHILE WE'RE HAPPY TO GET ON

BOARD WITH IT,

>> AND PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE

TO OUR COMMUNITY. NOW SHOWING

US THE RALEIGH POLICE

DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THEM

WRAL'S ALI CABIN BARR DESCRIBED

A DRONE BEING USED AT THE SCENE

OF A STANDOFF NEAR MILLBROOK

ROAD WEDNESDAY.

>> JUST THEY'VE BEEN OUT HERE

FOR THE PAST HOUR AND A HALF

AND WE HAVE SEEN A DRONE GO AND

AS WELL. WE SPOKE

WITH THE ROSEVILLE

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

CANDACE CARBERRY ABOUT THE

SUCCESS OF ROSEVILLE POLICE

DEPARTMENTS. NEARLY 2 YEAR OLD

DRONE PROGRAM.

>> SHE SAYS POLICE USED A DRONE

TO MONITOR THE TALENTS 4TH OF

JULY EVENT ATTENDED BY

HUNDREDS. WE ALSO USE IT FOR

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. SO SOMETHING

HAPPENS ON THE ROAD. WE'RE

LOOKING OVERSEEING HOW BIG THE

SCENE IS. THAT'S BEEN VERY

USEFUL, VERY BENEFICIAL FOR

OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. SERGEANT

WILLIAMS PREDICTS THE SAME

SUCCESS AND WINDOW AND HE IS

ALREADY PLANNING FOR THE

FUTURE. WE WOULD LIKE TO GET A

COUPLE SMALLER DRONES FOR

INDOOR USE FOR SPECIAL

OPERATIONS. THOSE SPECIAL

OPERATIONS INCLUDE GOING INSIDE

OF BUILDINGS OR HOMES AND

POSSIBLY EVEN USING DRONES TO

SHOOT NONLETHAL BULLETS AT

SUSPECTS AS SEEN IN THIS

SIMULATION IN TEXAS. THAT MAY

BE A WAYS AWAY FOR WENDELL

POLICE BUT NOT OUT OF THE

QUESTION IN WENDELL KIRSTIN,

CLARK, WRAL NEWS, VERY

INTERESTING. START TO WILLIAMS

SAYS THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING

TO TRAIN MORE OFFICERS TO FLY

THESE DRONES. HE'S HOPING

LINDELL'S DRONE PROGRAM.

>> WELL, ACTUALLY ATTRACT MORE

OFFICERS TO JOIN THEIR FORCE AS

WELL. BY THE WAY, A BIG WELCOME

TO KIRSTEN CLARK, A PRODUCT