Law Enforcement Agencies Have Heavy Presence At Downtown NTT IndyCar Series

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg police have put in place heightened security plans the Grand Prix of St. Pete 2022 using a new high-tech tool that detects drones, a police news release said.

Dedrone is a device that detects, identifies and locates nearly 300 different drone types. It pinpoints the drone and the camera on the device shows if it's carrying a suspicious load. The pilot's location will also be pinpointed, according to officers. (A video of the device in use is located at the bottom of this article.)

Police said the Grand Prix is considered an international event, and they wanted to improve safety for drivers, race crews and spectators because drones are becoming more common.

The St. Pete Streets Track is located on parts of the Albert Whitted Airport, a no-fly zone for drones, but just because it is, doesn't make officers fully believe that someone wouldn't still try to attempt flying one over the track at such a big event. A drone could pose a deadly hazard to the IndyCars during the races, officers said.

If a drone falls onto the racetrack that could create a fatal incident, police said.

St. Pete Police has partnered with Dedrone to be the first agency to use mobile drone detections technology. It is already in use around the world at venues including airports, stadiums and prisons. The device at the Grand Prix is portable, and it's Dedrone's first portable/mobile detection unit.

Other security measures at the Grand Prix include, according to the St. Pete Police:

• On-site event control to address issues quickly
• Four camera trailers and Skywatch monitoring the race site
• St. Pete Police Department Marine Unit and the U.S. Coast monitoring waterways near the track
• Venue is swept every day with bomb dogs and EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) teams, and every vehicle accessing the venue is checked.
• Assisting agencies include: FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Florida Highway Patrol, Hazardous materials teams, 48th Civil Support WMD Unit, United States Coast Guard, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Tampa Police Department.

The below video, provided by St. Petersburg Police Department, demonstrates how Dedrone operates:

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