PHOTOS: Wilmington Police Department Launches Drone Unit Thanks to State Support and Funding

The new Wilmington Police Department Drone Unit captured this image of the Wilmington Fall Fest recently. The Drone Unit — a six-member team that will operate two modern drones — will significantly enhance the department’s ability to search for missing people and to police community events. (Photos Courtesy Wilmington Police)

WILMINGTON — Chief Brian Pupa is pleased to announce that the Wilmington Police Department has launched a Drone Unit — a six-member team that will provide a significant 24/7 boost to the department’s search and rescue capabilities.

Thanks to a $50,000 contribution from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that was facilitated by state Rep. David Robertson and state Sen. Barry Feingold, the Wilmington Police Department has purchased two state-of-the-art drones — an Autel Alpha and an Autel Max 4T.

Both drones are equipped with powerful zoom and thermal imaging cameras, and are capable of long flight times and advanced obstacle avoidance.

The drones will be operated by a six-member team led by Sgt. Michael Wandell. Sgt. Wandell, along with Officers Dillon Halliday, Brian Tavares, Tom Lawrenson, James Hill, and Josh Debarros, have all been trained and obtained their Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 certification, which enables them to operate unmanned aircraft systems commercially in the United States.

The Drone Unit will be available 24/7 to respond to search and rescue incidents, community events, and incidents in hazardous or hard to reach areas. The drones will be used for crowd monitoring, crime scene documentation, and surveying hazardous and hard to reach areas safely and efficiently.

The Drone Unit has already deployed to the Wilmington Fall Fest, where it monitored crowds, and to a brush fire on Andover Street, where it assisted the Fire Department by locating hot spots as firefighters knocked down flames.

“Drones are quickly revolutionizing our lives in a variety of ways, and having a Drone Unit available at all times will significantly enhance the Wilmington Police Department’s ability to respond to search and rescue operations and community events,” said Chief Pupa. “I want to thank the Wilmington Select Board, Rep. Robertson and Sen. Feingold for their support and advocacy. We could not have made this unit a reality without funding and support from both the state and the community. This unit will now enhance public safety in both Wilmington and surrounding communities.”