The Michigan State Police department became the first law enforcement agency in the United States to be given permission to use unmanned aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration.

MSP has purchased one drone in 2013, an Aeryon SkyRanger, before being given permission to operate. The drone cost $160,000 and was purchased with a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Chosen for its high safety and reliability rating, the six pound Aeryon SkyRanger has a top speed of 31 miles per hour, a 50 minute flight time and can withstand winds of up to 40 mph.

The device can take still photos, record high definition video and live stream day video or infrared recording.

MSP Public Affairs Officer Tiffany Brown said the agency's intentions for the drone are limited to disaster response, search and rescue missions, or crime scene and traffic accident investigations.

"We are using it to support public safety efforts," Brown said. "It can be used throughout the state to support other agencies as well."

The MSP has been working closely with the FAA to ensure all training requirements and safeguard are met. The have also been working to decide on policies and procedures for use of the drones, as this is new territory for local law enforcement agencies.

One policy mandates the drone can only be operated by a two-person crew, to assure there will always be a pilot and a safety observer. Additionally, the pilot must be certified by the FAA and receive training from the drone's manufacturer.

The device may not exceed an altitude of 400 feet or leave the officer's sight. As a backup safeguard, the drone is programmed to fly itself back to the station in the event of a malfunction or low battery.

James Hill, a professor of political science at Central Michigan University, said regulators should consider not only safety issues but ethical implications as well.

"I do not want to sound like a Luddite about this new technology," Hill said. "Like any new technology, the issue of legal and ethical use is something should be considered at the outset of its use rather than wait for it to unravel without oversight."

Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union worry police drone programs lead down a slippery slope toward unwelcome surveillance tactics. The ACLU has called for strict limits where drones can be deployed, and it is opposed to equipping drones with lethal or non-lethal weapons.

In a report titled Protecting Privacy From Aerial Surveillance, the organization outlines their concerns.

"Rules must be put in place to ensure that we can enjoy the benefits of this new technology without bringing us closer to a “surveillance society” in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the government," the report states.

The drone was first used March 4, when police flew the SkyRanger over a fire near Jenison. Investigators from the local fire department used photos and videos collected to determine the origin and cause of the fire. This exercise demonstrated any law enforcement agency within the state can call upon the MSP Aviation Unit for assistance.

Brown said the MSP is using the SkyRanger as a beta test, with an eye on the future potential of this technology.

"We're just testing the technology and its capability to see where it can be used."