First City In San Diego County To Employ The Technology

The city of Oceanside, CA in San Diego County has approved the use of a "drone killer" by its police department.

The device acquired by the city comes from IXI Technology. It was developed by the company using similar technology used by the U.S. military. It disrupts the radio signal controlling the drone, and either forces it to land immediately or return to its operator.

Television station KNSD reports that, according to local authorities, drones have been a problem particularly for firefighters in the area. Oceanside Police Department spokesperson Tom Bussey said that during the Lilac Fire in December, "We had a drone up and we couldn't make water drops with firefighting aircraft because that drone was in the air."

Andy Morabe Director of Marketing for IXI Technology, told KNSD that the civilian version of the device was available for use during the NFL season, and would be deployed at some Major League Baseball parks this year. It was also on hand at the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade, as well as the Golden Globes awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Morabe said the device was being donated to the Oceanside Police Department simply because they were the first such agency in the country to express an interest in the device.

City officials say that the device will not be used against hobby drones. Its use will be restricted to public safety and emergencies.

(Image from IXI Technologies news release)

FMI: Original report