We've got ourselves another sign of the times. Conservation officers will now be able to call in an eye in the sky for assistance in their work. That's because the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources just announced the creation of a specialized conservation officer drone pilot team. The DWR is comparing this team to the agency's K-9 units. Five officers received specialized training and were required to obtain unique licensing from the Federal Aviation Administration to be certified in using drones for law enforcement work.
The DWR sees a long list of possibilities for the five members of the drone team. Utah's conservation drones will be positioned strategically across the state. The drone team might help with something as simple as a wildlife survey to assist search and rescue efforts with other wildlife agencies. The DWR also believes they can help document crime scenes, locate poached wildlife, and help investigate trespassing cases. They also think officers could use drones to document boating accidents or investigate hunting-related shootings.
In a press release, DWR Captain Wade Hovinga praised drones as a new tool for conservation officers to better serve public interests.
"Using drones will help us more effectively solve wildlife crimes, and having trained law enforcement drone pilots will also allow us to assist other law enforcement agencies with search-and-rescue efforts or any other investigations," Hovinga said in the release. "Utah conservation officers are public servants, and these new tools will help us better serve the public, whether we're solving poaching crimes or locating lost hunters."
It's probably very likely this new team will use the drones in cases unrelated to hunting or fishing. Like many other states, Utah's conservation officers enforce all laws, not just those relating to fish and game.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels for original videos.
