Christopher J. Marier

Elaborate scheme used drones to drop drugs in prisons, authorities in Georgia say

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Christopher Marier
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Officials arrested 150 people in Georgia and charged them in an elaborate drug- and contraband-smuggling scheme that involved using drones to deliver illicit drugs to prisons, officials said this week.

“Operation Skyhawk” was a monthslong investigation into a multi-state enterprise involving civilians, inmates, and staff at Georgia Department of Corrections facilities, Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Thursday. Eight department employees were among the arrested and were immediately fired, the governor said.

“Georgia will not tolerate those who put our communities at risk by trafficking drugs, weapons, and contraband both in and out of our correctional facilities,” Kemp said in a statement.

Full story: Elaborate scheme used drones to drop drugs in prisons, authorities in Georgia say

Comments

11 responses to “Elaborate scheme used drones to drop drugs in prisons, authorities in Georgia say”

  1. John Henson

    How could this method of delivering drugs into prisons change the way that correctional officers effectively control their inmates and facilities? What steps can they take to prevent this from occurring?

    Reply
    1. Alejandro Rodriguez

      I feel like if this gets out of hand too much corrections facilities can easily just make some sort of netting to cover up any opening in places like open areas like the outside areas or they can go the expensive route and have anti drone net launchers and lasers as this would allow them to recover the craft and be able to possibly give the craft back to the individual that was using it in the first place. They could also just destroy the drones by shooting them but hitting a target that small is a lot more difficult than one would think plus a bullet may accidentally cause unneccsary harm due being able to travel a far distance past the correctional facility. The correctional staff can also just like not let the convicts out for rec time but I feel that would be inhumane. I believe that either the drone net launcher or covering around open areas would be their best bet to repel the drones.

      Reply
      1. Rebecca Tyson

        The ideas you presented are very interesting but they make me wonder if they are achievable. Apply nets would get wildly expensive and many facilities would be unable to be covered completely due to their infrastructure. I also think if we were to shoot the drones down in some fashion that we should not be attempting to return them to their owners especially if they were carrying contraband. Another issue raised is the effects of the staffing issues within correctional facilities. Correctional officers are already severely outnumbered as it is and having people who are specifically set aside to watch for and address drone encounters might be unfeasible for some facilities.

        Reply
        1. Rebeca Cruz-Magallon

          I agree due to the lack of staff and lack of resources in order to cover up areas would be difficult and not the best solution for the problem. With the advancement of technology smuggling contraband can be easier and finding technology to reduce that crime is not yet available. Because prison facilities are so tight on their budget, finding resources is difficult, and higher more staff is also not the sought-after solution. For facilities with higher budgets satellites/radars could be an option to detect suspicious activity around the area. Another thing is higher insight on the inside more precaution on what is happening within the inmates keeping an eye open for suspicious activity.

          Reply
  2. Rebecca Tyson

    As I was reading this article I couldn’t help but to be taken back by the large numbers presented. 150 people arrested followed by the list of contraband that was confiscated was mind blowing to think about and this was just from one state. What does this look like across the nation? Is this an isolated issue or is it something that is becoming wide spread? The main focus on this article and this case was the use of drones to smuggle things into prisons but what other methods are being used that we may not even be aware of yet? What will this look like moving forward in the correctional system and how can we reduce these statistics? Is it even possible?

    Reply
    1. Chloe Lemos

      Rebecca, I agree with you. The number of people arrested was astonishing. 150 people were arrested. Our economy relies on technology and ever-changing technology. These criminals are becoming smarter, and faster. After reading the article I couldn’t help myself and ask how did these criminals think they would get away with this? What’s to say this will not happen again in other states? This is just one new way of smuggling items into jails/prisons. What are the other ways that we don’t know about? What could be some ways of screening these new methods of smuggling items into jails/prisons?

      Reply
    2. Jirah Montgomery

      I agree that seeing this operation in only one state is truly mind boggling, but it also makes me question how many other operations are happening just like that one that haven’t been caught yet? How many other innovate methods are being used to do the exact same thing- methods we haven’t even heard of yet. In order to even begin “fixing” this problem, it’ll have to be a joint collaboration between law enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, and technology experts. That is all a lot easier said than done, though.

      Reply
  3. Chloe Lemos

    With America’s economy changing rapidly what is to say this will not happen again? Our economy relies on technology and ever-changing technology. These criminals are becoming smarter, and faster. After reading the article I couldn’t help myself and ask how did these criminals think they would get away with this? What’s to say this will not happen again in other states? This is just one new way of smuggling items into jails/prisons. What are the other ways that we don’t know about? What could be some ways of screening these new methods of smuggling items into jails/prisons?

    Reply
    1. Jirah Montgomery

      In response to your question regarding how the criminals knew, I feel as if their confidence in evading detection while commuting these crimes stems from their knowledge of the “holes” in our incarceration system,/criminal Justice system. A few vulnerabilities that can make it easier for criminals to pull off operations like this are inadequate staffing, overcrowded prisons, and of course corruption. Not to mention inadequate training for the staff that already exists. They regular kind of training won’t suffice, especially for criminals who are getting smarter and more creative; the training has to take into account the advanced technology we have today, as well as the possibility of multiple forms of corruption.

      Reply
  4. Jirah Montgomery

    The mere scale of “Operation Skyhawk” shows a very concerning trend in how criminal enterprises are changing with the times. Drones are becoming more accessible and more advanced, which in turn makes their potential to be used in illicit activities greater. The operation highlights the very urgent need for better and maybe enhanced measures that can fight against these advanced methods of illicit activities. Coming up with these methods is a lot easier said than done, I’m aware, but it begs the question of how can law enforcement agencies adapt their strategies and technologies to effectively fight/counteract the use of drones in criminal activities?

    Reply
    1. Ethan Hughes

      Jirah, I think you raise a very good point on how these measures could actually be implemented. After all, they’re airborne robots with spinning blades; even with the capability to make them fall, that poses huge safety concerns for the community. Perhaps some sort of radar advancements can be used to guide drones to a set location for disposal, away from the public. However, not all these drones are built or operated the same way, so there is likely no universal measure that could override every drone. I think this will take a lot of research and testing, but the bottom line is that we can’t have civilians getting hurt or even scared of the possibility.

      Reply

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