BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 December 20, Friday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
Tuesday, December 17, brought an unusual report when a local resident observed 4-5 drones near Highway 133 and County Road 32 the previous night, noting similarities to recent New Jersey incidents. We thought this was something local law enforcement could help unravel.
As federal authorities grapple with unexplained drone sightings across the northeastern United States, the situation highlights the complex landscape of legitimate and unauthorized drone operations nationwide – including in Nebraska’s Washington County.
The Federal Aviation Administration reports “more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day,” according to a December 18 joint statement from federal agencies. These agencies note they’ve “received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated.”
The situation has prompted federal action. “Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.” Additionally, authorities note “there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space.”
In Blair, Nebraska, local law enforcement maintains established drone programs with clear protocols. The Blair Police Department “started the drone program in 2022” and operates three specific drones: “The Autel Evo II, The Autel 640T and the DJI AVATA. The two Autels are outdoor drones which have approximately 40 min of flight time per battery. The 640T is our thermal camera capable drone. The DJI AVATA is utilized for indoor flying and can be used to clear residences and buildings during a burglary helping keep officers out of harms way while the situation is assessed.”
Hatheway emphasizes their accessibility: “These drones are nothing special and can be owned by citizens as well and even ordered off of amazon.”
Regarding flight operations, Detective Joshua Hatheway explains “our drones and pilots are required to operate under the altitude of 400 feet per their FAA license.” The department maintains sophisticated coordination procedures: “Train with OPD Able 1 in coordinating manned and unmanned assets. We also have radios that listen to helicopter to helicopter and Blair Municipal Airport Frequencies.”
Operational timing varies, as “We have pilots on that work during the day and at night so it would depend on the call for service. Around disasters… or big events like Gateway to the West Day parade you can expect to see our drone up in the air.”
Hatheway adds that beyond regular events and disasters, “Other than those big areas it the flights would depend on if a drone is needed or would be beneficial to a call for service.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office employs drones as “a resource for searching large areas weather it be for a lost person or suspect. Drones are also used in disaster areas like the tornado that went through Washington County. Drones were used to survey the damage path as well as search area that was difficult for persons to search. Drones were also used to survey the flooded area of the Missouri River.”
Both departments maintain strict certification standards. “All 4 of our pilots are licensed under the Part 107 FAA certification,” Hatheway states, with “Continued monthly internal and external training with surrounding agencies.” The WCSO confirms “Every pilot with WCSO has been trained and is certified according to FFA’s Part 107.”
Regarding privacy concerns, Hatheway notes ‘Laws are trying to catch up with drones in almost every state. However, statutes like Unlawful Intrusion would include if a drone was being used.'”
For suspicious activity, WCSO advises “If anyone suspects a drone flying around their residence and believe the drone is doing something unlawful, they can report it to the WCSO using the non-emergency number.”
Hatheway elaborates: “Contact the Washington County Dispatch center and the FAA. It is important to remember that the FAA treats drones as aircraft. So, the federal crime of shooting at a drone is the same as shooting at a manned aircraft. Several government agencies currently operate drones, some are public service like WCSO and the fire departments, others use it for surveying or inspection of power lines. These means drones are not an uncommon sight to see flying around. Not to mention the hobbyist drones.”
Both departments document successes. “Each pilot records their flights on a shared log to track maintenance and flights,” Hatheway explains. The WCSO’s “Drone was also utilized in conducting searching grids and ultimately was able to locate a missing person in 2023 in the Desoto NWR on the Nebraska side of the river. Drones are also used to obtain pictures of vehicle accidents and vehicle investigations.”
Blair PD reports success “utilizing them to help find suicide or lost parties. Utilizing the thermal capabilities as well as just the normal camera system from an airborne point of view we were able to find the parties quicker than we would have been able to with just a ground search. As well as using it to deescalate a situation when someone had barricaded themselves inside there house. We were able to slow down the situation utilizing a drone to conduct recon which helped bring the situation to a peaceful end.”
As the national situation continues to develop, federal agencies “urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.”
For identifying official police drones locally, Hatheway advises: “It would be hard to see the difference in the air but up close each drone has a small badge on it. The best way would be to either call Washington County Dispatch or look for a police officer in the area flying the drone. We rarely are trying to hide when we are flying them.”
SOURCES:
Federal Documents
- Joint Statement from DHS, FBI, FAA & DoD on Ongoing Response to Reported Drone Sightings (December 18, 2024)
Interviews
- Detective Joshua Hatheway, Blair Police Department (December 2024)
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office representative (December 2024)
News Reports
- NBC News report by Jay Blackman and David K. Li (December 20, 2024)
- Forbes report by Stephen Pastis and Siladitya Ray (December 20, 2024)
- BBC News report by Ana Faguy and Robert Greenall (December 20, 2024)
- Associated Press report by Dave Collins (December 20, 2024)
Official Documents
- Blair Police Department Drone Program Documentation
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office Drone Program Documentation
- Federal Aviation Administration Temporary Flight Restriction Notices (December 2024)
Kyle Netzel from Netzel Air Drone Services LLC may have an insightful take on this. He’s talked about the FAA regulations and thermal imaging involved with his drone services several times at the West Omaha Small Business Owners Alliance networking group.