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Wabasha County holds public hearing on sheriff's drone purchase for search and rescue; policy, timeline and licensing discussed
Summary
The sheriff's office proposed buying a drone funded partly by donations for search-and-rescue; a public hearing was held on the use policy, and staff said licensing and an audit trail will be in place with demonstrations planned for donors and the public.
WABASHA COUNTY, Minn. — The Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office presented a public hearing May 20 on a proposed drone purchase intended primarily for search-and-rescue and other public-safety work, outlining a policy, licensing timeline and public-demonstration plan.
Rodney Barge of the sheriff’s office told commissioners the drone would be used “primarily [for] search and rescue.” He said any surveillance use would require judicial authorization: “If there would be any surveillance, it would have to be with the judge's authority.” Barge said the sheriff’s office had prepared a policy; the document was included in the meeting packet and officials agreed to post it on the county website for public review.
Barge said the county had received donations toward the purchase, including a $2,000 gift from the Melville Sportsman's Club noted on the consent agenda, and that the sheriff’s office planned to approve the purchase at the June 3 meeting if pricing and tariffs hold. He said the vendor held the quoted price for 30 days and the department hoped to complete federal/state licensing and have operators trained by mid-July.
The sheriff’s office plans to license about eight operators so personnel will be available when needed. “It was kind of cheap enough to do it. So we figured, well, let's have as many as is interested,” an office representative said. The office will maintain an audit trail and file reports after flights; Barge said the department will run demonstrations for donors and community groups and notify commissioners when demonstrations are scheduled.
No public opposition or substantive public comment was recorded during the hearing. Commissioners asked about posting the policy online and about timelines for purchase and licensing; Barge committed to the posting and to scheduling demonstrations across the county.
