Drones are inexpensive and easy to come by now, making them ideal tools for nefarious uses sometimes.  Lately, drones have been used to help smuggle items into prisons.  It is an ongoing issue throughout the United States.  The Virginia Department of Corrections has reported 33 drone sightings around the state’s correctional facilities since January, 2018.  Of those 33 sightings, 4 of them occurred at neighboring prisons Buckingham Correctional Center and Dillwyn Correctional Center.  Together, these facilities that are about an hour and a half west of Richmond, VA house 2,000 inmates.

This past August, security staff was leaving Buckingham Correctional Center for the day.  On their way out they noticed a small white drone abandoned on the side of the road.  The drone had a small package attached to it.  Wisely, the prison employees reported the drone to a shift commander who advised them not to touch it as it was not officially on prison grounds.  Instead they called the Virginia State Police.  When the police arrived on the scene they examined the content’s of the drone’s package.  In there they found quite a bounty of illegal contraband.  The package contained a cell phone, 3 SIM cards, an eight ball of cocaine, $500 worth of marijuana, and a handcuff key.  All of that, transported by a DJI drone that probably only cost a few hundred dollars.

Of all the drone sightings reported around Virginia correctional facilities, this was the first to be intercepted with drug as it’s cargo.  A spokesperson for the Virginia State Police said that charges are pending for this drone interception, along with 13 others.  However, vice president of Dedrone, Phil Pitsky, suspects that the numbers of reported drone sightings over prisons is likely much lower than the actual drones making it into these restricted areas, many of which could be carrying illegal substances.

Founded in 2014, Dedrone is a company that specializes in software that protects companies from ill intended drone use.  According to the bio on their website, “Drone technology has advanced tremendously in the past few years, and today drones significantly aid in surveying, disaster relief, delivery, and myriad business and consumer applications.  In the wrong hands, however, a drone’s accessibility, capabilities, and ease of flying makes it especially suitable for hacking, surveillance, and terrorism. Dedrone protects organizations from malicious drones by securing the airspace using advanced hardware and software technology.”

Phil pointed out that the drones sightings being reported at prisons are mostly flown during the day.  Meanwhile many more are flown into prison yards under the cover of darkness at night, dropping packages like the one found outside of Buckingham Correctional Center.  It is so easy for an operator to get these drones to their desired target without any detection.  That is why Dedrone has been brought in to help secure prisons in Kentucky, Georgia, Maine and Pennsylvania. 

Currently located in San Fransisco, Dedrone is setting up systems to help prisons monitor their airspace to protect themselves from drones being used to either spy on the prison or bring in dangerous materials.  Dedrone is not only working with correctional facilities though.  They have also helped secure airspace for the US Department of Defense, the RCB Canadian Open, the F.E. Warren Air Force Base, and the 2018 and 2019 Global Economic Forums, and many more.  They are hoping that more institutions, like the prisons in Virginia, will reach out to them to enhance their safety measures.