2 teens arrested as more police departments use drones to fight crime

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HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) – Law enforcement agencies across Maryland are increasingly turning to drones to catch criminals.

This happened this week in Harford County, where police arrested two Baltimore City teens for breaking into more than 20 vehicles.

The Harford County sheriff said drones are cheaper than helicopters, require fewer personnel to operate and can be deployed more quickly.

Teens Arrested Drone images showed two suspects hiding from Harford County sheriff’s deputies in the woods near Joppa.

At least they thought they were hiding.

The police drone was able to detect her body heat to track her.

Officers later charged the 15- and 16-year-olds with breaking into at least 21 cars in a crime spree in Abingdon and Joppa.

Officers found a loaded gun and stolen items, including credit cards, in her truck.

Sheriff Jeff Gahler told WJZ the technology has become essential.

“The drone was actually in the car with (our deputy),” Sheriff Gahler said. “He was able to use the drone immediately and with the thermal imaging available there, they were able to locate the suspects – two teenagers from Baltimore City. Had these individuals escaped, they would still be breaking into cars armed, so public safety is enhanced by these types of technologies, and there will come a day when it will probably be standard to have one in every car.”

The drone pursuit The sheriff’s office said at about 4:21 a.m. Nov. 25, officers responded to Deep Well Court in Abingdon for reported vehicle thefts. Officers learned that 21 vehicles had been searched.

Shortly after 4:47 a.m. officers were dispatched to Doncaster Road in Joppa for further reports of theft. Witnesses told officers they saw two suspects dressed in black get into a black pickup truck.

Officers spotted the black pickup truck on Falconer Road and initiated a pursuit. The suspects drove the vehicle off Boarksdale Road and abandoned it before fleeing on foot, officials said. Inside the truck, officers found a Glock 9mm handgun and numerous stolen items, including stolen credit cards.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) drone unit used a drone to search the area and ultimately located the suspects, who were hiding in a heavily wooded area.

Solving high-profile cases Harford County also used drones to catch suspects in two home invasions last April.

“How many times has a police officer been chasing someone in the woods or whatever and gotten shot or tried to defend themselves and there are problems,” Bel Air resident Christopher Monti previously told WJZ. “It’s scary, but these guys are causing trouble with a drone.” I have to think of something else.

The drones also helped capture David Linthicum in 2023 after he shot two Baltimore County police officers and fled to Fallston.

Officers also used the drones after a driver crashed into a Bel Air home and fled the scene in early November.

Other counties are using drones Harford County isn’t alone in using drones.

In Howard County, a drone helped find a teen who was wanted for a carjacking after he crashed and fled.

In Montgomery County, police used a drone to catch a stabbing suspect in Silver Spring.

“When I took office in 2014, this office actually had its own helicopter, and when you look at this program, the cost and the delay in recruiting – staffing is the biggest cost, getting staff into the hangar and the “Getting helicopters in the air – the answers have expanded,” said Sheriff Gahler. “It’s much more cost-effective and just overall more effective for law enforcement use. “It actually provides greater public safety and officer safety for our deputies and police officers out there.”

ACLU raises concerns The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has raised privacy concerns, particularly over police use of drones to monitor protests.

“It is important that we do not plunge into a world of widespread aerial surveillance, but that communities think very carefully about whether they want drone surveillance and, if they decide to allow some operations, put guardrails in place to prevent these operations from expanding. ” wrote Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at ACLU.

The ACLU estimates that around 80% of law enforcement agencies across the country use drones, a number that is expected to continue to rise.

Currently, Harford County has 11 drones in its fleet.

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