Dewey police implement drones

This summer, the Dewey Beach Police Department added two high-tech drones to its arsenal, enhancing its public safety efforts.

“While Dewey Beach is a small town, unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, offer an array of benefits to [its] policing operations, especially during the busy summer months and at large events throughout the year,” said Pfc. James Rieley, the drone unit supervisor.

The drones, DJI Matrice 4Ts, cost about $13,000 apiece and are equipped with cameras that have thermal imaging and smart-tracking capabilities, as well as an attachable spotlight to assist with nighttime operations.

They also have attachable speakers with live broadcast capabilities, a collection of prerecorded public safety alerts and even a small music library, including “Sound of da Police” and “Bad Boys,” the “Cops” theme song – and no, the officers didn’t download those songs themselves, Rieley clarified, laughing. They were pre-downloaded prior to their purchase.

The drones can be used to assist with beach safety and overwatch, search-and-rescue missions, tactical operations and aerial surveillance. Officers can monitor for struggling swimmers or others in need of help, and can easily communicate with and provide expedited services to patrons.

Currently, the drone unit comprises two officers: Rieley and Cpl. Jack Kane. Officers interested in joining must undergo a two-day training course and testing to obtain their FAA Part 107 pilot license.

In early 2026, Rieley and Kane will be taking a training course on the integration of K-9s and drones into police searches.

“If a suspect is on one end of a side street, and [an officer and K-9] are coming in from the other, I can have a bird’s-eye view of where the suspect is and if there are other possible hazards, whether it be another suspect or, say, another dog in the area,” Rieley said. 

The devices’ thermal imaging capabilities are especially useful in those scenarios, allowing Rieley and Kane to pinpoint subjects via body heat detection, even when they’re not in plain sight.

In June, the Delaware State Police called the unit out to assist during a critical incident – a shooting – near Angola. They were able to survey the scene with the drones and get a better perception of the situation and any imminent threats first, before they sent any officers in. That way, the officers weren’t entering the scene completely blind.

Dewey Police is in the process of getting water rescue equipment for the drones, including a grappling hook attachment and two life preserver flotation devices that inflate once they hit water.

“We can attach the life preservers to the drones, so if somebody gets caught in a rip current and gets drug out farther than a lifeguard can swim, we can easily fly a life preserver out and drop it off from right here,” Rieley said. “Or if a boat crash or something happens on the bayside, we can not only put eyes on it, but also, if somebody needs, we can drop them a life preserver.”

According to Chief Constance Speake, the water rescue equipment will be especially nice to have at the end of the summer after the lifeguards have left for the season.

The drones are programmed to stay stay at or below an altitude of 393 feet above ground level, in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s 400-foot AGL limit. Their maximum horizontal speed is about 47 mph.

When in flight, they must stay within the operator’s field of vision. However, the devices’ cameras have a 112 times hybrid zoom, allowing the officers to get visual footage of fairly distant subjects and locations if necessary.

The drones were purchased with Law Enforcement Support Office funding and donations from the Dewey Beach Lions Club and Dewey Business Partnership.