2024 was a busy year for the EPPD’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) team!

In fact, it was the busiest year since the program began in 2020. In 2024, our drones recorded 91 events—52 activations and 39 training events. In 2023, the UAS team deployed 55 times and in 2022 they had just 40 deployments.

The team was started to help locate missing and endangered people, find fleeing suspects, support investigative functions and meet other public safety needs. The department has four active drones and is managed by a team of five sworn officers and one civilian volunteer who have received extensive training on drone operations and policies.

Drones have the benefit of being able to travel to locations that aren’t accessible by foot, vehicle or even helicopter due to terrain or weather conditions. Launching a drone to look for a suspect in a wooded area, for example, allows responding officers to safely monitor where a suspect might be located without putting themselves in danger. Our drones are outfitted with thermal imaging that can locate a person based on the heat they emanate, even if they’re hiding under foliage.  

Our drones are also used for community events—both as demos and to ensure safety. For example, our drones were present during the City’s Fourth of July celebration and at all Eden Prairie High School home football games. We also utilized drones during the Feb. 28 funeral at Grace Church for the Burnsville first responders who were killed in the line of duty. In addition, last year the UAS team provided demos of the equipment at Safety Camp, Senior Citizens Academy and for the Eden Prairie Lions Club.

One of our most active drones is named Micky in honor of Micky Axton, a former Eden Prairie resident who was the first woman to fly a B-29. She was a test pilot during WWII and one of the first three Women Air Force Service Pilots to be trained as a test pilot. She died in Eden Prairie in 2010 at the age of 91. A month after her death, Micky Axton’s family was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Micky’s behalf, the highest award that Congress can give a civilian.

With Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, most of the city is in FAA restricted, Class D airspace. All police drone flights are done in strict observance of all airspace restrictions. When needed for emergency missions, the team obtains waivers from the FAA to conduct flights where they would normally not be allowed. All UAS Team members are FAA Certified Part 107 operators. They also conduct regular ongoing training to prepare them for missions.