06/24/2025
White County Sheriff’s Office Expands Capabilities with FAA-Certified Drone Program
Sparta, TN – The White County Sheriff's Office is proud to announce that Major John Meadows and Lieutenant James Blankenship have successfully completed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Commercial Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Training and have received their Remote Pilot Certificates. This certification authorizes both officers to legally operate drones for official law enforcement purposes under federal regulations.
The certification process required approximately 15 hours of intensive instruction covering a wide range of aviation topics including interpretation of sectional charts, classification of airspace, airport operations, weather conditions and their impacts on flight, FAA Part 107 rules and regulations, crew resource management, and other critical safety and operational components. After completing the course, Major Meadows and Lieutenant Blankenship scheduled and passed the FAA’s required knowledge test at the Lebanon Municipal Airport Testing Center located at 100 Glidepath Way, Lebanon, TN.
With this achievement, the White County Sheriff’s Office is now equipped to deploy drones for a variety of authorized public safety operations, including:
Responding to high-risk threats involving terrorism based on credible intelligence as determined by the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
Preventing imminent danger to life when immediate action is warranted
Providing aerial surveillance during the search for fugitives, escapees, or in hostage situations
Conducting search and recovery missions for missing persons
Investigating motor vehicle crashes occurring on public roadways
Investigating criminal offenses that occur on public property as defined under TCA 6-54-127(b), or where reasonable suspicion exists that a crime has occurred on such property
Supporting fire investigations
Executing search warrants authorized by the judiciary for surveillance or property search
In preparation for deploying this technology, the officers also conducted extensive reviews of both federal and state laws related to drone operations. Additionally, the agency has developed and adopted a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure proper use and accountability of drone operations within the department.
As part of this initiative, the White County Sheriff’s Office applied for and was awarded a grant that enabled the purchase of a Small Unmanned Aircraft System from Vantage Robotics. This equipment will play a vital role in the agency’s expanding mission to serve and protect the citizens of White County.
The Sheriff’s Office recognizes that the use of drones in law enforcement may raise privacy concerns. The agency is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens and assures the public that the use of drone technology will be strictly limited to the situations outlined above. The FAA has clarified that the airspace over privately owned property is part of the national airspace system, and unmanned aircraft are considered legal aircraft under federal regulations.
Looking ahead, the White County Sheriff's Office will continue seeking additional grant opportunities to expand its drone program. This includes exploring the implementation of Drone First Responder (DFR) capabilities, which could allow drones to respond to certain calls for service before or in place of manned units. This not only enhances response times but also allows sworn personnel to remain available for higher-priority incidents.
The White County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to utilizing technology responsibly to enhance public safety, improve operational efficiency, and protect the rights of our community.
