State officials and experts stress the need for stronger anti-drone laws to combat the growing number of drone intrusions into prisons and other settings.
Georgia prisons are facing a serious problem as drones increasingly smuggle contraband into state prisons. The issue was brought to sharp attention after a drone was used to transport the gun used in a tragic murder-suicide at Smith State Prison on June 16.
According to reports Georgia RecorderCorrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver testified before the Georgia Senate Committee on Corrections Facilities Studies, saying the ongoing investigation indicates that inmate Jadrekus Hart used a drone to transport the gun he used to kill Aramark employee Oreon Grace. Hart, who was serving a 20-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, then turned the gun on himself.
The incident is part of a broader problem of drones being used to transport illegal items, including drugs and cellphones, into Georgia prisons, which is escalating violence inside prisons and putting both inmates and correctional staff at risk.
“It’s just a constant battle that we’re fighting,” Oliver said. “Most inmates are now trying to avoid compromising with staff as much as possible because they say they can get whatever they want from the sky or from a drone.”
Legislative Action on UAS Technology
As drones increasingly are used to smuggle contraband into prisons, the limitations of current UAS countermeasure technology and the urgent need for increased legislative authority are being highlighted. Local law enforcement agencies are often the first to be called upon to deal with drone intrusions, but they have few tools to help them. Under current law, UAS countermeasure technology is only available to a few federal agencies.
DJ Smith, UAS and CUAS Program Coordinator for the Virginia State Police, is a frequent speaker on the topic and a recognized expert in drones and drone countermeasures technology. Smith expressed frustration with the existing legal framework. “An overdue legislative exception that would allow SLTTs (state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies) to perform advanced detection methods, such as decoding drone signals to identify the pilot’s location and flight path, would be invaluable,” Smith said. “This would allow them to locate the pilot and either educate violators or take appropriate action, either through regulatory action or enforcement.”
At the recent Georgia Public Safety Summit hosted by DRONERESPONDERS, Smith brought in a panel of experts to discuss the challenges state and local law enforcement agencies face in detecting and mitigating unauthorized drone activity.
Mary Rupert of the Department of Homeland Security’s c-UAS program office noted that federal agencies such as the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard currently have UAS countermeasure capabilities, but there are significant gaps in the law. “We can’t be everywhere,” she said, emphasizing the need for expanded authority to effectively manage drone threats.
Chris Sadler of the VIPC Center for Public Safety Innovation highlighted Virginia’s efforts to address the issue, including using Dedrone trailers to monitor unauthorized drone activity over critical infrastructure. But Sadler stressed that the effort is still in its early stages and that broader authorities and more robust technology are desperately needed.
Request for a comprehensive solution
The need for legislative action to expand UAS response authority for state and local law enforcement agencies is becoming increasingly urgent. As drone technology continues to rapidly advance, the challenges of detecting and mitigating unauthorized drone activity are expected to increase.
Implementing advanced drone countermeasure technologies and expanding the legal authority for state and local agencies to use them is an important step in our ongoing efforts to secure correctional facilities, critical infrastructure, and more.
