When it comes to law enforcement drone programs, few can match the breadth and sophistication of the one in Ft. Myers, Florida and surrounding Lee County. The FMPD just received a free gift from the Florida DOT – a state-of-the art 3-D photogrammetry drone – that will allow the department to expedite and enhance its field analysis of crime and accident scenes, making it easier to track down and charge suspects and to resolve liability claims.

Filming at various heights from multiple angles, the drone’s high-powered zoom camera collects hundreds of overlapping images from a crime or accident scene, completing the work in just minutes; it then uses specialized technology to piece the images together into a comprehensive photorealistic 3D portrait that better represents the scene, its background and setting.  It would take a field team hours to conduct the same work, far less accurately; the drone completes the job in a fraction of the time, without the need for placing costly manpower on the scene.  It’s faster, more cost effective and more efficient.

The FMPD has been on the cutting edge of drone innovation since it first established its drone program back in 2019.  In 2021, the department, in partnership with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, or LCSO (Ft. Myers is the country seat), became  the first law enforcement agency in the country to acquire and deploy the “Dragonfish” fixed-wing drone for long-range surveillance and criminal pursuit as well as search and rescue (SAR) operations. Produced by Autel Robotics, the eVTOL drone can launch and land vertically and become airborne in 10 seconds.  It also has the ability to stay aloft for two hours, and has a rang of nearly 19 miles far beyond the capacity of most battery-powered drones that are limited to a half hour or less.  The drone first gained notoriety later that year when it joined in the nationwide search for fugitive Brian Laundrie, who was thought to be hiding in a large wooded area in the country’ jurisdiction.  The drone launched, scoured the area and found Laundrie’s campsite and soon afterwards his remains within less than an hour.  It was a father in local law enforcement’s cap and a tribute to the power of drone technology.

But it’s not just the capacity of the combined FMPD/LCSO drone team that’s impressive; it’s also its sheer size.  Most law enforcement agencies of comparable size are lucky to have a half dozen drones and an entire drone team numbering 10 officers.  The two Ft. Myers agencies currently have 90 certified drone pilots and more than two dozen drones dedicated to criminal pursuit and SAR operations alone.The drones come equipped with thermal imaging cameras that can detect fleeing suspects and missing persons at night, based on their heat signature alone.  While field teams or helicopters might take days searching for a person of interest, and still come up empty, SAR drones are known to find someone within hours, and sometimes even minutes. The cost savings to the department, in terms of reduced manpower and fuel use, can be enormous, while the operational success rate is much higher.

All of the drone tools and capabilities at the disposal of the FMPD and the LCSO have placed these two police agencies at the forefront of drone law enforcement  not just in Florida but nationwide. Together, they rival Miami and other much larger Florida cities in terms of the number and types of drones at their disposal.  Drones may be one reason Ft. Myers is now ranked as one of the three safest places to live in America.  For local citizens, including thousands of newcomers relocating to southwest Florida every year, the presence of such a powerful aerial arsenal has become a source of great comfort; for would-be criminals, it’s a source of fear and apprehension knowing they can run, but not hide.