The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday saluted three local businesses that made donations so it could purchase a new thermal imaging drone. Undersheriff Chuck Heit tells us LeValley Chevrolet, Lane Automotive, and Orchard Hill Sanitary Landfill contributed funds so the department could acquire its second such drone.
“The drone is about $11,000, so it was split three ways,” Heit said. “As you may recall, a couple of months ago, we had Starks Family Funeral Home and Honor Credit Union donated money for the first drone. That has been so successful that countywide, [we wanted] to have one down south in south county as well.”
Heit says the department has been able to catch seven suspects thanks to the first drone since getting it.
“It has helped us apprehend suspects at night and in hiding, and also it’s invaluable for missing people, crash, and crime scenes.”
Heit says the drone is an Autel EVO II Dual. The EVO II is equipped with a high-resolution thermal camera in a compact platform and able to collect and provide two image sets at once with the use of both thermal and visible imagery. The department previously only had a small drone that could survey crash scenes.
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