Digital deputies — Navarro County Sheriff’s Office utilizes latest technology

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The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office made headlines in recent months as it busted pot farms around the area with the help of drone technology. Even though this is extraordinary, it wasn’t what the drones were originally intended for.

At first sheriff Elmer Tanner wanted to use the drones, which are classified as an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control or onboard computers according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, as a way to locate missing people.

“We originally started our drone program with the intention of helping with the mental patients, those with Alzeimers or Dementia or missing children that are in the rural terrain,” Tanner said. “We don’t have as much aerial support as some of the larger counties.”

 

This usage of the technology lead to the discovery of Carnell Solomon, who was reported missing and found dead in 2017. The NCSO used four drones to track the surrounding area and due to their video footage, were able to locate the man’s body.

As the technology proved useful, on June 14, the NCSO decided to use the drones to fly over an area near Angus, where there had been an alert of suspicious activity reported.

While flying the drone, they discovered three separate fields of marijuana and 17,500 marijuana plants. This was the largest marijuana discovery in the history of the department.

The second drone-related marijuana bust was June 23, where the NCSO discovered 10,000 marijuana plants growing in various stages, some were as tall as five feet. The area of the operation was no ordinary farm.

When asked by Channel 4 News to describe what he had seen, Tanner explained more about the marijuana grove.

“We believe this to be an organized operation,” he said. “They had everything there to sustain not only the growers but the crops as well.”

The campsite had waterpumps, generators for harvesting and processing the marijuana, along with other amenities for the offenders as well. A bulldozer was used to allow access to the site as the terrain was rough and dense with brush.

The landowners of the property where the grove was located appear to have no knowledge of the activity.

“We spoke with the land owner and he is an absentee owner,” Tanner said. “He doesn’t even live in Navarro County.”

As of right now, the investigation is still ongoing.

“This does not mean that its over,” Tanner said. “There is a lot of evidence left behind at the location and our detectives are processing that at this time trying to develop suspects.”

Drones are only the first step in the Navarro County Sheriff's Office utilization of the latest technology.

The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office received some funds to benefit its tactical unit in the form of a surveillance robot as part of this year's The 100 Club of Navarro County's “We’ve Got Your Back” Fundraiser.

"We are in the process of obtaining funds to purchase a tactical surveillance robot," Tanner said. "This life-saving piece of equipment will be able to go into places where impending danger may be imminent, instead of having to send an officer into harm's way."

The robot will have an arm capable of opening doors, and delivering small items if necessary. It will have rubber tracks and can be used both inside and outside of structures. Its primary purpose will be for surveillance and to keep officers out of harm's way. An example would be someone who is barricaded inside a structure.

 

"Since we are a regional response team, we will also make the robot available to any Navarro County agency upon request," he said.

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