Jones County sheriff adds two drones for emergencies

The Jones County Sheriff's Office added two drones to its fleet in 2016 for use in locating missing persons, viewing vehicle accidents and surveying storm damage.

Sheriff Greg Graver said the office began researching the technology in 2014. KGAN reported the acquisition on July 15, 2016.

Graver noted the drones are flown above the terrain and addressed public concerns about surveillance. "The perception from the public a lot of times is law enforcement has drones, they must be spying on us and for the most part the drone that we utilize is a terrible spy tool," he said.

The drones were purchased with grants and law enforcement funds rather than local tax dollars, Graver said. For residents in eastern Linn County near the Jones County line, the equipment could aid mutual responses to incidents along the shared border.

Graver described the funding sources: "We have not used tax money at this point. We have got some grants. There’s some EMA funds, there’s some law enforcement funds that don’t come from the tax base we to put it together."