Port Washington police demonstrate expanded drone program, say FAA certification and state rules guide use

Port Washington police presented an expanded drone program at the Police and Fire Commission meeting on Aug. 11, describing new equipment, training requirements and how crews plan to use the technology for searches, safety and interagency responses.

The department said the team now includes four certified pilots — Officer Taylor Russell, Officer Cook, Officer Dunn and a lieutenant — and that pilots must hold the Federal Aviation Administration remote pilot certificate after passing the Part 107 exam. The department cited Wisconsin statute 175.55 as the state rule that governs law-enforcement drone use and said it has an agency general order that sets local operating guidelines.

The demonstration included two aircraft the department uses in different roles. Officials described a DJI Avata 2 for indoor and confined-space work and a thermal-capable DJI Mavic Air 3 used for night operations and locating hot spots. The department said the thermal drone has an onboard speaker to attempt contact with people in the field and that teams can stream live video from controllers to squad computers and supervisors’ phones.

"These are incredible tools for us," a department lieutenant said during the demonstration, adding that the technology is not a toy and that crews have already used drones to find missing persons and assist tactical scenes.

Police gave several operational details: typical flight time is about 35–40 minutes per battery; effective range is about one mile but is practically limited by the requirement to keep the aircraft in visual line of sight and by radio/Wi‑Fi interference at busy events; and batteries cost in the low hundreds of dollars apiece. The department estimated the dedicated small-drone kit at roughly $6,500, the indoor aircraft at about $1,200 and some smaller components at about $600; officials described these figures as approximate.

Department staff said they coordinate with other agencies in Ozaukee County and often share batteries and training with the fire department. Having compatible systems with the fire department, the police said, allows fire leadership to view drone footage while fire crews remain focused on firefighting tasks. The department also described procedures for deployment: on-duty certified pilots may launch for authorized incidents, and the team has a designated supervisor who must be contacted when a proposed use falls outside the department’s general order.

Commissioners asked whether the department could deploy items from drones or use them proactively over crowds. Police replied that they cannot legally deploy munitions or payloads and that regulations typically prohibit flights over crowds; drones can be positioned off to the side of events for crowd monitoring. Speakers also noted that federal regulations and evolving technology are factors agencies and the FAA are still addressing.

Video recordings from drone flights are retained on memory cards for training and evidentiary purposes, officials said.

The presentation included a live overview and answers to commissioner questions; commissioners and staff praised the program’s operational value and interagency coordination. No policy changes or new expenditures were voted on at the meeting.