FRANKLIN — Whether it is the marshlands around Cypremort Point State Park or the dozens of smaller waterways surrounded by dense woods located more inland, there are large portions of St. Mary Parish that are not easily accessible. 

That scenario allows residents, and visitors alike, to appreciate more of the parish’s natural beauty but it also poses quite the challenge for first-responders when it comes to a missing person search, boating or ATV accidents, or tracking down a wanted suspect.

To help with those objectives, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office has created a new section of its department — an sUAS (small unmanned aerial system), better known as Drone Section.

“It is going to make us more efficient as a department,” Interim St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said. “We don’t have to wait for equipment or additional manpower to start a search. We can cover so much more ground now, and we can locate somebody quicker and redirect resources to where they are located quicker now.

“It is something that would be very instrumental in our operations, in particular in search and rescue efforts,” Anslum said. “When we have to deal with boat crashes, or small aircraft crashes, some of those areas are hard to access. This now gives an an advantage.”

The idea to create a Drone Section took root with Anslum prior to him becoming interim sheriff in January. 

“It was something I began to look at when I was still chief deputy,” said Anslum, who replaced Mark Hebert after Hebert retired as sheriff. “I thought it would be extremely beneficial to our department.”

After taking over as interim sheriff, Anslum turned to Maj. John Kahl Jr. to begin the process of getting the department certified to have and use drones. Kahl spent months working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to write the Certificate of Authorization for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. 

The COA covers flight plans for the drones, maintenance, ground personnel and other responsibilities needed to utilize drones in law enforcements agencies.

“Major Kahl began doing all the research to find out exactly what we need to do to be completely legal,” Anslum said.

Before the SMPSO Drone Section was activated this past week, three employees with the department obtained their Part 107 FAA pilot sUSA licenses. In addition, any employees who already have their own drones, and are licensed to operate them, can operate the drones or use their own personal drones for department use.

“It has been drawn-out process but a needed one,” Anslum said. “We have been meticulously working through it. We have made sure to dot all of our is and crossing all of our ts. It was important for us to have everything in place and done right before starting our operations.”

Less than a week since becoming official, the department has yet to use the drones in the field for a search and rescue operation or even for aerial crime scene photos. Anslum said the office is prepared to utilize its new law enforcement tool.

“If the need arises, we will utilize our drone to benefit not only us but benefit our community,” Anslum said.