In his latest attempt to combat contraband at the Fulton County Jail, Sheriff Patrick Labat is fighting fire with fire.
On Thursday, he unveiled what he described as a first-of-its-kind drone security system.
Inmates at the Rice Street jail have been receiving drugs, weapons and other contraband delivered by unauthorized drones — which in some cases have dropped the sought-after goods through holes in windows “virtually unabated and undetected,” a federal monitor reported last year.
There were almost 300 unauthorized drone flights in and around the jail property in the first half of last year alone, the sheriff said, amid a demonstration of how his new “drone-as-first-responder” system will help plug that security gap.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
“We’ve had everything from chicken sandwiches to cigarettes to really just tools to take the jail apart delivered via contraband, and most of that came through drone drops,” Labat said. “Now, if it were up to me, I’d take a shotgun, and I’d shoot them all down. I’d climb up to the roof. But certainly, we can’t do that right now.”
The sheriff’s new drone, one of a fleet of 19 he said he hopes to eventually procure, is docked on the jail roof. It’s equipped with a camera and can fly within a 3-4-mile radius for up to about 45 minutes. The cost, which officials declined to provide, is being paid for by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Foundation.
“This is not taxpayer dollars,” Labat said. “The foundation has several benefactors, and ultimately one that thought this was a really good focus to be able to create a force multiplier and help keep people safe.”
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
“This amazing technology is the first that we know of in the country, in the nation, when it comes to jail and drones being a first responder,” the sheriff added.
Other metro law enforcement agencies have launched drone programs in recent years to assist with duties such as arrests, evidence documentation or traffic crashes.
Labat said once he gets additional drones, they can be positioned around the county to help with his office’s work, including checking that registered sex offenders are where they should be. He said he plans to partner with other Atlanta-area law enforcement agencies that have drone technology to create a network.
“If a drone can get there first, then we as a community, and we as a law enforcement community, can be even more safe,” he said. “This is not a big brother situation where everyone’s watching. This is for the betterment of our community.”
The jail drone will be the sheriff’s eyes in the sky, able to arrive within seconds to a security breach that deputies would take longer to reach. It is a partnership with Atlanta company Flock Safety, which has trained half a dozen deputies as drone operators.
“That drone has video and audio to relay back what is happening, be that a medical event, be that an intrusion of the perimeter, or be that a contraband drop from another drone,” said Garrett Langley, Flock Safety’s CEO. “This is arguably the first jail to do something like this, and I think it’ll be the first of many.”
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Labat said his office and the trained drone pilots have had to meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements to remotely operate the jail drone. He said the goal is to eventually have more drone and surveillance technology to swiftly identify unauthorized drones and their operators.
“There are nights when there are up to eight (unauthorized) drones just flying around the (jail) perimeter,” Labat said.
The sheriff said up to 75% of attempts to get contraband into the jail involve drones, in part because the main entrance security screening has improved.
Significant upgrades must be made at the jail under a legal agreement with the federal government.
In August, the lead monitor for that process, Kathleen Kenney, reported a variety of problems, including chronic understaffing that creates a serious safety risk for both inmates and employees.
She said a tour of the jail in May revealed most floors had a single deputy or detention officer supervising about 200 detainees, and the security towers are often left vacant. She said the almost 2,000 inmates take advantage of the limited supervision.
Earlier this month, Fulton County commissioners approved a set of initiatives to reduce jail overcrowding, saying a cap on the inmate population may be needed if the staffing crisis is not fixed.
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