Dryden Township approves drone purchase

DRYDEN TWP. — The Dryden Township Police Department is getting a drone of its own.

Township trustees voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 13, to authorize Police Chief Shaun Peters to purchase a DJI Avata 2 drone. For the past two years, the department has shared a drone with the Dryden Township Fire Department.

“It’s a nice tool to have,” Peters told trustees. He said a growing number of law enforcement agencies, including the Metamora Police Department and Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office, use drones.

The new drone will cost the department $1,019. Peters said the device is available from retailers ranging from Best Buy to Amazon. He told trustees that the new drone is smaller than the fire department’s model and features shielded propellers, which will allow officers to conduct building searches when necessary.

Peters said the department will pay for the Chinese-made drone out of its equipment budget. Federal grants require the purchase of American-made drones, but Peters noted those models are less effective. The DJI Avata 2 is “more agile and less expensive,” he said, adding that it is the same unit used by Metamora police.

In other business, trustees accepted the resignation of firefighter Travis White, who cited increased work and family obligations.

Trustees also appointed Dryden native Claire Corrion to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Corrion replaces Katie Lambert, who resigned following her recent marriage.

Additionally, trustees approved spending $644 to send Peters to the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police 2027 Winter Professional Development Conference, scheduled for Feb. 3-5 at the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids.