Ohio sheriff’s force to swap its helicopters for enlarged drone fleet

Step aside Blue Thunder, the law enforcement future belongs to UAVs. That, in any case, is what one Ohio police force has decided in swapping its helicopters for what its leader says are more affordable, effective, and quieter drones.

According to a report by Cincinnati-area TV station Local 12 News, Ohio’s Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office will be making increased use of drones to take up slack created by it retiring its two helicopters. Though officials acknowledge there may be some loss of mission potential in the exchange, they say the force will realize operational savings of several hundred thousand dollars – and a windfall income of millions from selling the choppers.

And while that change wouldn’t thrill the daring pilot-heroes of TV series like Magnum PI or Hawaii Five-0, Hamilton Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey argues that opting for drones over helicopters is the only reasonable move for law enforcement agencies these…