Drone will help protect Madison schools

MADISON — In a proactive move, the Madison Police Department is planning to employ a specialized indoor drone this school year to enhance the safety of schools in our community.

This follows a two-day training with city police and resource officers with the Madison County School District held before July 4,

Each year, the department conducts an active threat sit-down training, and every other year, they partner with the Madison County School District for a practical active threat response training, according to Lt. Micah Taylor.

“Madison PD is committed to enhancing safety through comprehensive training and innovative technology,” Taylor said.

This year, the training spanned two days and included Madison Police officers and Madison County School Resource officers, at the lower elementary school on Madison Avenue on July 2 and July 3 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day. Taylor said the SROs are typically the first to respond to incidents.

A part of this year's training was the introduction of the new indoor drone. 

“This advanced drone features software capable of mapping building floor plans, proving to be an invaluable tool in pre-planning response strategies,” Taylor said.

Currently, Madison PD is collaborating with the Madison County School District and the Madison County DA’s office to ensure that all public schools in the city are mapped before the first day of school, according to Taylor. 

“This initiative aims to bolster preparedness and enhance the safety of students and staff across the district,” Taylor said.