UK police are expanding their reach with new technology this fall — from the recently-released SafetyZone app to an increase in cameras and, for the first time, drones.
UK police Chief Joe Monroe says there will be a drone on North and South Campus that can be launched remotely and over any trouble spot within 90 seconds, where it will immediately push video to security operations and patrol cars.
"The drones might be used for disorders in progress, when somebody's fighting. It could be involved in any emergency priority calls," he says. "This will give us real time information quickly, help us locate that suspect. We can also use it if somebody's missing."
With the new forms of surveillance come questions about privacy. Monroe says the drones will operate over areas that are public and rights to privacy do not apply.
"We're not dropping a drone down into anybody's backyard or anything like that," he cautions. "These are all high level things that are 200 feet above the ground at least."
This semester, police will also have the ability to lock down buildings remotely with the a few keyboard strokes.
One section of campus where students will notice an increased police presence is on the north side of the school's footprint, an area with bars and nightlife that Monroe describes as a "hot spot" for crime and the location generating the most calls. This year, the department has added new permanent lighting, overnight and weekend patrols, and emergency call towers.
"We also created a new patrol unit that is focused on these hot spots, and those are everything from the North Campus area, the bar district up on Limestone, Scott Street, Bolivar," he says. "We are really putting a strong emphasis on that area."