Altoona adds UAV to department

Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Amanda Tyler - WEAU

ALTOONA, Wis. (WEAU)- An eye in the sky, that's what the Altoona Police Department is calling its latest tool aimed at helping the entire community.

Just last month the Altoona Police got a $1,500 unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV. Now the department is in the process of training and developing its strategies for the new technology.

Officer Steve Valk is the first from the Altoona Police Dept. to be trained on the equipment.

"There is a lot that goes into it but it's an awful useful tool for law enforcement and there are many situations that we can use it for," Officer Valk said.

The department says the new piece of equipment gives them the opportunity to see a large number of situations from above from standoffs to fires, even a missing person's case.

"We had a drowning in the city in 2014 that took quite a while to find the victim and something like this could have saved hours off the search," Lieutenant David Livingston said.

Lt. Livingston says the $1,500 investment can cut search and rescue time in half, saving time and police resources. He says the UAV is also another tool to keep officers safe.

"Situations where there is potential violence, we can send the UAV in first depending on the situation," Livingston explained.

Right now the department is still waiting for a final piece to the UAV that will allow them to see a live stream of video from the sky. It's that new perspective that officers like Steve Valk say can make all the difference.

"The UAV can see what we can't from ground level. It gives us that eye in the sky 3D view of the situation," Valk said.

The Altoona Police Department hopes to have the UAV ready for full use in the coming weeks with hopes of having more officers trained to use it in the future.

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