There are a few times a year that the Ripon Police Department will deploy drone technology.

That’s the Unmanned Aircraft System used in patrol operations, from reconstructing a crime scene and traffic collision documentation, to searching out missing persons, especially along the Stanislaus River, according or Ripon Police Chief Danny Sauer.

At Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting, he talked the various uses of the drone – elected leaders accepted the donation from the Ripon Rotary Foundation for the purchase of a Parrot Anafi USDA Drone with a price tag of about $7,540.

“This will replace the drone that was purchased in 2017 that is now in need of replacement. With the purchase of this equipment, the Unmanned Aircraft System Program will be equipped with two operational drones,” Sauer said in his report.

He added that the police department also uses a drone to look for illegal encampments by the river and serving warrants as well as officer safety.

The Parrot Anafi USA Drone comes with four additional batteries in order to power for up longer deployments.

In addition, a tablet might need to be purchased as a controller for the drone in the event that the current tablet is not compatible, Sauer said.