Corman Park police received a drone in April of 2025, and they have deployed it 37 times already.
“The drone is actually quite useful for our patrol, for a variety of situations,” said Const. Mark St. Arnaud of the Corman Park Police Service. “What it does is it’s able to cover a large area and access difficult terrain, which patrol officers on foot or in vehicle can’t access, and it can do it a lot quicker than they can.”
In one incident earlier this month, police received reports of an intoxicated man walking down Hiighway 41 who wasn’t dressed for the -20 temperatures. Police tracked fresh footprints into an open field, and the drone did the work from there, tracking the man who was found inside a dumpster.
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The drone has been used to find other missing persons, as well as fleeing suspects, trespassers, and has been used in cases involving weapons. It’s even been used to help the fire department locate fires.
“It’s made a huge difference. It can really help patrol officers. There are times when there’s a firearm involved and it’s able to see it before officers move in. And there’s times where we’ve actually located someone that was hypothermic or cold,” said St. Arnaud.
The drone has three types of cameras: thermal, zoom, and a wide shot camera, making it easier for police to find suspects or people.
St. Arnaud says they have found different ways to utilize the drone. “We have had calls for locating a lost horse and for trying to locate a poacher, from my understanding.”
The drone is worth an estimated $10,000 dollars and can take less than four minutes to be up in the air after officers arrive on scene, with a 45-minute lifespan.
Watch above for more on the police drone and how it works.
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