Mokena police use DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone to catch 3 fugitives

After helping the Illinois State Police catch three suspected fugitives, the Mokena Police Department's drone program is getting more attention.

Using the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone, the Mokena Police Department's drone officer was able to locate the three suspects using the drone's infrared camera.

The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone with a thermal camera detected the suspects' heat signatures in a field about a quarter-mile away from where their car was abandoned.

The suspects were ordered to march with their hands up across the field to a nearby industrial park, where the police were waiting to take them into custody. All three have been charged with several offenses.

Sergeant Robert Miller of the Mokena Police Department explained that the infrared capability of the drones is heat-seeking and detects the heat signature of people and objects.

DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise with thermal camera

The department has about four of these drones, and they have been deployed 24 times since the program began in July 2021. The DJI drones have also been used to find missing people.

“The infrared capability is basically heat seeking. What it does is it detects the heat signature of people, objects, in fact, if you watch the video close enough, when you see the three people stand up, you can actually still see the ground underneath them is still slightly illuminated from their body heat. So, it's that sensitive,” Miller said.

The success of the drone program has been gaining attention, and the Mokena Police Department is gaining a reputation for its expertise in using drones.

The department's drone program has been instrumental in assisting law enforcement in capturing suspects and finding missing people, and the department plans to continue expanding its drone program to support the community, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

Photos courtesy of Fox 32 Chicago