Eye in the sky

Police Officer Gianni Parise was the natural choice to lead operations after the Wright State Department of Public Safety purchased a DJI Mavic 3T drone.

The advanced drone features night vision, thermal imaging, a spotlight and megaphone, all controllable from a hand-held device.

“Gianni was selected because he has a bachelor’s in aviation,” said Kurt Holden, chief of police and director of public safety at Wright State University. “He also had experience with drones and other devices.”

Parise recently obtained a FAA Part 107 Class license to operate the department’s new drone as well as commercial drone equipment.

Parise can use the drone to monitor parking lots and crowds during large events, including concerts at the Wright State Nutter Center, and the 225-acre campus woods.

He will also partner with the drone teams in the Green County Sheriff’s Office and the Fairborn Police Department to assist with missing persons, intelligence operations, crime scenes, vehicle crashes and large events.

Parise said that while police drones are still rare at most universities, they are becoming more common in the southern part of the state.

“We are always looking for new and innovative tools to help us do our job better and this new drone technology and Officer Parise will help us do just that,” said Holden.