By Mary Thurwachter
As Lantana’s population ages, the number of people with Alzheimer’s who leave their homes and wander aimlessly is on the rise, too, Police Chief Sean Scheller says.
Finding those folks quickly and returning them to safety is a concern for his department, which just received a new tool in that effort.
Last month, the Town Council agreed to purchase an Axon Air Skydio drone for $26,598. The funds will come from American Rescue Plan Act money.
Finding lost elderly people isn’t the only way Scheller said his department will utilize the equipment.
“The uses of this drone will be monumental,” he said. “We can also use it when looking for a fleeing felon and other dangerous individuals, and also monitoring community events in our town.”
The drone will be helpful for emergency management, too, he said. “If we know a storm is coming, we could use drones to go around and take videos on town properties before and after the storm.”
Two officers are licensed to operate law enforcement drones.
In addition to the drone, the police will get 50 Motorola Interoperability radios for $381,091. ARPA funds are also being used for this purchase.
The radios will replace outdated handheld radios that are out of warranty.
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