The Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Technology and Aerial Response (STAR) team is part of the Critical Response Unit (CRU) branch, comprised of STAR, SWAT and CNT. The STAR team includes a supervisor, six (6) pilots and one (1) tech. The pilots are certified with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part107 Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) pilot’s licenses. The sUAS’s are mission specific and are not used to conduct random surveillance. The team follows all FAA and NRS regulation and laws.

The flagship of the team is a DJI Matrice 300RTK; used for a variety of calls such as assisting with search warrants, arrest warrants, in progress crimes, major accidents, locating endangered citizens/children, search and rescue operations and assisting with everyday Carson City Sheriff’s Office Patrol Functions.

The Matrice 300RTK offers up to a 55-minute flight time. The team has the ability for continuous flight with rapid charging batteries available. The Matrice has advanced AI capabilities, six (6) directional sensing & positioning camera’s, a 54mph top-speed and can fly up to 9.5 miles. The Matrice 300RTK is equipped with an H20T camera that is capable of 200x optical magnification, thermal imaging and a 1200-meter laser range finder. The H20T can be accompanied by an additional spotlight payload to assist during low light or low visibility situations.

The Matrice 300RTK has been deployed for 158 flights since its purchase in November of 2021. Between all systems, the STAR team has conducted 221 flights.

Additionally, the team has access to two (2) smaller DJI Mavic systems, two (2) interior SkyHero Loki systems and two (2) ground support wheeled/track systems.