As the World Cup approaches, the King County Sheriff’s Office is ramping up efforts to keep fans safe by deploying new technology to combat potential drone threats.
“Our biggest concern — and so were all of our partners in Seattle and the feds — was how do we deal with the drone threat? We had no capability to deal with it,” Undersheriff Jeffrey Flohr with the King County Sheriff’s Office said.
Now, the department has a solution thanks to federal training and an $11.7 million grant. Three high-tech trailers, each costing about $3 million, will play a key role in World Cup security. Deputies have been training with specialized equipment designed to detect and neutralize drones that stray into restricted airspace.
How do the trailers work?
“It picks up the radio frequency signals that are talking to the drone and then it tells us where the operator is,” Flohr said. “So we will be sending federal agents and law enforcement officers to the person flying the drone illegally.”
If deputies can’t reach the operator, or if the situation is too dangerous for a direct approach, they have another option.
“We have the ability under the authority of the FBI and the FAA to deal with that drone by electronically either taking it over or making it land or sending it back to where it’s supposed to go home,” Flohr said.
Temporary flight restrictions will be in effect before, during and after each match, making it a no-fly zone unless the drone is cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The department’s own drones will also be available to provide a bird’s-eye view of any issues or emergencies.
“Maybe there is a fire,” Flohr said. “Maybe there’s something, or we don’t know what’s going on in this section. We can get a drone or a helicopter and they can see it and we can get there really quick.”
The stakes are high for anyone ignoring the rules. According to the FBI’s Seattle office, 37 drones violated flight restrictions during the Seahawks’ parade, and penalties can be severe.
“You could end up getting a federal felony, a federal misdemeanor, a state felony for reckless endangerment,” FBI Special Agent Ben Williamson said. “Or you can get up to a $100,000 fine from the FAA.”
Law enforcement’s increased presence won’t be limited to the skies.
“I mean, just in Sound Transit alone on a game day, you’re going to see a hundred extra deputies,” Flohr said. The extra staffing will come from overtime and from moving employees from other departments into patrol for those specific days.
The FAA’s website, B4UFLY, has information for recreational drone operators.
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