Carroll County Sheriff Candidates Weigh in on Drones

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners recently discussed drones and their use in Carroll County. Commissioner Robin Frazier said she was going to draft a resolution regarding drone use in Carroll County to bring back to the Board for consideration.

Col. Philip Kasten, Chief Deputy in the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, said in a statement following the commissioner discussion that the Carroll County Sheriff's Office does not own or possess drones, nor does it have any future plans to deploy the technology. Kasten is one of the three candidates running for Carroll County Sheriff in 2014. 

Patch asked the candidates for their position on drones and their potential usage in the Carroll County Sheriff's office. 

Maryland State Police Capt. Jim DeWees announced his candidacy for Sheriff this spring. He said, "I see no practical purpose or cost-effective value to law enforcement with purchasing or using drone technology. 

DeWees went on to explain that there are ways for police to protect Carroll County citizens within "constitutional safeguards." 

"As a state trooper and a 14-year member of the state police SWAT team, I've responded to well over 100 situations involving hostages or armed and barricaded individuals throughout this state.  During incidents like this when someone's safety is in serious jeopardy, requiring an immediate response, technology from above can be valuable.  The state police just purchased helicopters (equipped with the latest technologies, including video down-link capabilities that can provide scene information to police on the ground) that that can fly at 5,000 feet and read the license plate on a car from 5 miles away.  These helicopters are well marked and can be used for immediate officer safety needs at situations like these.  The state police helicopters are always available to Carroll County law enforcement and are often seen in and out of the county doing excellent work.     

I do not foresee the need for this type of surveillance technology in Carroll County. There are viable options for investigative surveillance that can be conducted within constitutional safeguards that protect the rights of our citizens. Major crimes are solved every day through the use of traditional legal surveillance including everything from the observations of an alert deputy to court ordered wiretaps." 

Chris Fiora, who announced his candidacy for Carroll County Sheriff in late spring, said he does not see the use for drones in Carroll County at this time. 

"The use of drone technology to conduct surveillance operations outside of an active criminal investigation is wrong and would violate the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Carroll County citizens.

I do not believe that it is currently necessary to use drone technology to police Carroll County. I believe that there is already sufficient technology available to law enforcement in Carroll County [such as helicopters, airplanes and/or satellites.] Moreover, the cost of drone technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), would most likely be cost prohibitive for the County depending on the type of UAV."