Class will start next month, school officials say.
Essex County College President Dr. Gale E. Gibson (left) and Essex County College Public Safety Director Anthony Cromartie display a drone donated to the school. (Courtesy Essex County College)NEWARK -- Thanks to a donation of $75,000 worth of drones from a Pennsylvania company, Essex County College will offer N.J. law enforcement officers a class in how to use the high-tech devices to fight crime.
The college recently announced the new course, which will be open to both law enforcement officers and civilians. It is set to start next month, college officials said in the announcement.
College President Gale Gibson said the course is in line with the school's focus on supporting law enforcement agencies in Essex County. The school has run the county's police academy since 1999.
"There is no perfect answer, no 'one size fits all' method to addressing crime," she said in a statement.
"However, we should utilize technology - whether it is body cameras, drones, facial recognition software, or surveillance technology - as an option to decrease crime, improve efficiency, ensure professionalism, effectiveness, and improve officer and civilian safety, resulting in overall improvement in our communities."
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The four drones, two of which have thermal imaging and spotlights, were donated by FlexRight Solutions. The course will be taught by a combination of FlexRight staff and law enforcement officers.
"Our vision is a two track curriculum," FlexRight Solutions founder and CEO Damian "Skipper" Pitts said in the release. In addition to drone operation lessons, the course will include other police technology, like body cameras, he said.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
