By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Technology that's been perfected in the war against terror could soon find its way into the hands of local police.
Metro confirms that it's looking into the purchase of high tech drones that could be tracking your moves from the sky.
While it's not a done deal yet, the I-Team has learned the unmanned crafts are already zipping around above our heads.
What do you think? Should Metro be flying unmanned planes over Vegas?
Like every other segment of society, it will be a high tech future for lawmen. Metro police are not only looking at how and when to use sophisticated drones, but also other electronic doohickeys that will be bad news for bad guys.
UAV's aren't just spy platforms anymore. In Iraq and Afghanistan, weaponized drones not only look for bad guys, but they can also take them out.
Predators and other UAV's were tested and perfected at Nellis and Creech air bases. Some of the missions overseas are still remotely piloted from southern Nevada.
Military sources say new generations of insect or bird-sized UAV's are in development at Area 51. And now, the expertise honed on Nevada military ranges has filtered into the civilian sector.
In 2004, Lew Aerospace conducted a test flight in Las Vegas as a demo for the FBI. One of Lew's birds were launched from Caesars Palace.
Few, if any, people on the ground noticed as it zipped among the hotels, but judging what the UAV saw, its value to law enforcement has already been proven.
“We have flown for the FBI, we have flown for Norad, we have done border patrol work. Typically, UAV's are used wherever there is the three D's: dull, dangerous, or dirty work,” said Lew Aerospace V.P. of Operations, Sandy Mangold.
Company founder Paul Lew and his vice president Sandy Mangold don't need much of a sales pitch for their product. It speaks for itself.
Example, at the Nevada Test Site, a chemical cloud was released. Instead of sending a manned vehicle into what could be a deadly situation, a UAV flew through carrying equipment that analyzed the threat.
“It's one of those technologies that is inevitable,” said Lew.
The government already uses UAV's to scour the test site in search of unexploded ordinance. The applications for anti-terrorism efforts are obvious, both for the military and the police.
Metro Assistant Sheriff Mike McClary has spent more than 2 years investigating types, cost and possible uses for UAV's.
“We have so many special events every year. You talk about NASCAR, New Year's Eve, the Laughlin River Run — events like that spread over a large geographical area or over a long chronological time. Those might be applicable,” he said.
Some UAV's carry thermal imaging gear which would allow police to track fleeing suspects at night or in crowds.
Car chases could be far less dangerous for bystanders and officers since a small UAV could follow without being noticed, unlike a helicopter or patrol car. They can stay airborne for up to 24 hours at a much lower cost than a chopper, and would be invaluable in operations such as searches for missing persons.
In a hostage situation, a UAV could provide real-time intelligence, without putting officers in the line of fire or inciting the suspect.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie wants to find the right fit for Metro, so the department has been in no hurry to buy.
“You can buy anything from the size of a sparrow to an f-22 Raptor. It depends on how much money you've got, where you can land it and where you can take off from,” said McClary.
McClary says Metro would likely opt for a smaller system, something that could be launched by a one or two person team in situations that require immediate aerial surveillance.
UAV's would augment, not replace helicopters. In other cities where police have invested in UAV's, including Houston, concerns have been raised about invasions of privacy and surveillance without warrants.
Metro says the concerns are understandable, but the reality is, it's a line that's already been crossed. The only thing different is the size of the platform.
“Not one of these systems would possess anything that is not currently in helicopters that are flying around today,” said McClary.
Paul Lew is even more blunt, “Big brother has the ability to know what you're doing with or without the use of UAV's.”
Even if Metro doesn't take the plunge, new high tech capabilities are already ushering in a brave new world.
Sheriff Gillespie says non lethal weapons will make it safer to subdue suspects, mobile data terminals will be a boon to officers in the field and that police will have other surprises in their future arsenal, “Where police officers are actually going to be able to shut down cars that are in front of them that they are pursuing and they're not pulling over,” he said.
Law enforcement sources outside of Metro have confirmed to us that UAV's have already been used here in operational roles by more than one federal agency.
Sheriff Gillespie says that when Metro finally selects a UAV system for the department, it's not something that would be put into use every day — adding that the public will be given plenty of opportunity to sound off about it beforehand.
Email your comments to Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp
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