Drone contraband is becoming a problem
RUSSELLVILLE — Area law enforcement officials say they support the idea of more authority to stop drones from delivering contraband into jails. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall recently joined attorneys general from 20 other states in asking the federal government to allow state and local officers to intercept or disable drones near correctional facilities.
The request comes as drones are being used in some parts of the country to drop drugs, weapons and cell phones into prisons. Current federal law limits who can take action against unauthorized drones, leaving many local agencies unable to respond in real time.
In Franklin County, Sgt. Kyle Palmer said there have been no documented problems, but the sheriff’s office has taken reports seriously in the past.
Franklin County Jail Administrator Felisha Weeks monitors camera views of the jail.
“An inmate told us someone was going to be dropping drugs at the jail,” Palmer said. “We watched but never saw anything that confirmed it.”
Palmer said deputies take steps to prevent contraband from entering the jail, including checking the perimeter before inmates are allowed outside.
“If you can throw a baseball over the fence, you could lob something in there,” he said. “A drone just makes that easier.”
He said stronger laws could help officers act faster and possibly prevent dangerous situations.
“If someone was caught bringing in drugs, they would be charged with drug trafficking,” Palmer said. “If it involved something like fentanyl and someone died, it could lead to a manslaughter charge.”
Lauderdale County Sheriff Joe Hamilton said his office has considered the risk, especially because of the jail’s layout.
“We have an open rec yard where that could be a possibility,” Hamilton said. “We have never had any confirmed cases.”
Hamilton said he would support changes that give local officers more control over the airspace around jails.
“Restricting the airways around jails would be a good thing,” he said.
State officials say these types of risks are part of the reason they are asking for changes.
Law enforcement agencies are weighing the growth threat of drones being used to smuggle contraband into jails and correctional facilities.
In a letter to Deputy Assistant to the President Sebastian Gorka, the group of attorneys general warned drone deliveries can lead to addiction, violence and continued criminal activity inside prisons.
Cell phones dropped into facilities can allow inmates to run fraud schemes, intimidate witnesses or coordinate crimes.
Marshall said local officers are often the first to see these threats but lack the authority to act.
“Criminals have found a way to turn the skies above our prisons into a smuggling route,” he said. “We need clear legal authority to stop these threats before they land.”
So far, there have been at least two reported cases in Alabama where people were arrested for trying to use drones to deliver contraband into prisons, according to state officials.
