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A sheriff’s department in Iowa has changed its drone usage policy in response to criticism from the county attorney, ensuring it would never again be used to search for missing animals and livestock.
According to WHO TV, Boone County attorney Daniel Kolacia chastised the sheriff for deploying a drone to “track down some loose cattle north of Ogden,” a town of about 2,000 people approximately 50 miles northwest of Des Moines. (The entire county has a population of just over 26,000.) The 24 cows belonged to a county supervisor, Chet Hollingshead, who requested the sheriff send out the drone in the name of “public safety,” as he didn’t want his cattle hit. All but five cows were recovered.
Kolacia, who did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment, reportedly sent a letter to county officials saying that county property should not be used for personal use. “If I see or hear anything, any wrongdoing, it’s my job to remind people what the law says and that we all follow the law,” Kolacia told the television station late last month.
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Source: Ars Technica – Sheriff blasted for sending drone to “track down some loose cattle”