Austintown unveils drug enforcement drone

December 11, 2018 at 8:39p.m.

AUSTINTOWN

Christmas came early for township trustees who tested out a new drug enforcement tool during a Tuesday meeting: an about $16,000 drone purchased through a local grant.

Coalition for a Drug-Free Mahoning County cut the township a $20,490 check in September to reimburse the township for the equipment, as well as officer training and certification. The coalition received a $75,000 grant in May from a foundation tied to opioid distributor Cardinal Health, which established a funding vein for local communities struck by the opioid epidemic, said Angela DiVito, coalition executive director.

“Looking at our county data, I knew that Austintown and Boardman were two of our hardest-hit communities with overdoses,” she said. “I asked them what their ‘wish list’ was.”

Austintown Ptl. Ryan Reese said Tuesday he researched the type of drone best suited to police work and spent months training to use it before taking a drone pilot certification test.

The equipment itself is “top-of-the-line,” Reese said — a step below military grade — and could be used while executing drug warrants, to follow moving vehicles or on search and rescue missions. The drone’s mounted camera takes photos, records video and employs several different thermal sensors.