PORTLAND, Ore. — A burglary early Friday morning in Southeast Portland spotlights how Portland police are now incorporating drones into their policing.
It was at an Airbnb on Southeast 25th Avenue near Belmont, where the owner, who lives in the basement, called 911, saying people were in the home that shouldn’t be.
When officers arrived, they called for the suspects to come out of the home. When they didn’t, police used a drone to enter the home and look around, with the permission of the owner.
“One of the officers on scene is designated as a drone operator, and so, he was able to deploy one of the smaller drones into the residence and search remotely,” Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said.
Allen added that entering homes with drones is new for the department but said it’s a much s