CHICAGO (WLS) — The Secret Service’s Chicago field office hosted numerous law enforcement officers from local and state agencies across the Midwest at Soldier Field for a gathering centered on one of the most vital new tools for law enforcement: drones.
The ABC7 I-Team attended to witness the effort dedicated to fostering connections and collaboration among state and federal authorities, enabling departments to learn about the latest applications of drones. The gathering also highlighted the rapidly developing offensive potential of these aerial devices.
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With Ukraine’s bold drone strike on Russian territory that turned a premier fleet of bombers into fireballs and wreckage, the Secret Service is paying attention to the possibility of unmanned aerial vehicles becoming potent weapons of attack within the United States.
“Highlighting what just occurred in Russia… it’s amazing and at the same time, it’s scary. And we need to make sure that we’re leaning forward on what we can do to address it,” said Joel Heffernan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office.
As the Secret Service is expanding its airspace division, the Chicago field office brought together more than 50 law enforcement agencies from the Midwest including Illinois and Wisconsin to talk about the latest in drone technology, threat prevention and how to work together.
“I think that is one of the things that you’re going to see come out of this is a lot of collaboration with other departments that maybe not had touch pointed before, but now we’re going to get together and have these conversations,” Heffernan said.
The briefing comes almost a year after the devastating breakdown of communication during the attempted assassination of President Trump in Pennsylvania.
Official reports outline numerous issues from that day including the agency’s decision to not use a surveillance drone at the rally site and equipment trouble with a drone detection system.
Just last month, the I-Team reported in-depth on the expanding use of drones by local police departments of all sizes to respond to crime in real time.
The Aurora Police Department provided body camera video demonstrating how their trained drone operators guided officers to a missing man believed to be armed and experiencing a mental health crisis.
Other departments outlined how drones equipped with infrared technology, in the dark of night, can spot on the ground what the human eye cannot.
“We can pick up their heat signatures and locate them a little faster than we would with the naked eye,” said Sgt. Ronald Miller with the Aurora Police Department.
It’s a small encapsulation of how the technology is becoming essential for every department.
“Being embraced at being embraced at, you know, not only the larger departments, but even the smaller departments now,” added Heffernan. “I think this is something that is going to continue to evolve for law enforcement, also for planning, for public safety, too, for major events.”
The Chicago Secret Service Field Office said that none of its manpower or assets will be involved in imminent ICE deportation operations in the city.
While law enforcement officers stress that drone technology is necessary for public safety and Illinois has one of the strictest drone laws in the U.S., privacy advocates warn there is not enough protection to stop what they describe as the overreach and erosion of civil liberties.
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