Kootenai County Sheriffs Office starting new drone program [Video]

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is starting a new aerial drone search and rescue program.

According to the sheriff’s office, the Kootenai County Volunteer Search and Rescue Unit will use a $30,000 Women’s Gift Alliance grant to operate a drone for search and rescue operations.

A 62-year-old woman went missing in the county on June 16. The resulting search for her was called-off on June 19 after the sheriff’s office said it had exhausted all search and rescue resources.

The use of drones for search and rescue missions has become more common for rural police and sheriff’s departments over the past five years, as the US Department of Homeland Security has promoted the practice since 2020.

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