Minnesota Police Department Gets New Drone

ROCHESTER (AP) - A police department in southern Minnesota has acquired a new drone that it hopes to use to track people who wander off because of certain conditions.

Reports say that the Rochester Police Department acquired the drone to add to their Project Lifesaver initiative, which monitors adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer's, autism and other related conditions or disorders.

Clients wear a transmitter that is activated when they wander so police can quickly respond to save their lives or protect them from injury.

The drone can switch out an antenna for the camera, enabling law enforcement to see the direction of a transmitting signal. The drone's camera has thermal, night vision and day vision capabilities.

The drone and special training to use it cost about $68,000.