Jail Officials Worry Drones Could Smuggle Contraband, Help Plan Escapes

SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — An effort is underway to crack down on rogue drones flying near some California jails amid concerns they could help plan escapes or drop contraband behind bars.

Sacramento County leaders will consider using experimental anti-drone technology. The sheriff's department wants to launch a pilot program with a device that can track drones and even make them fall from the sky.

Law enforcement officials say there's a growing concern that drones will become a problem for prisons.

"There have been numerous incidents where contraband has actually been dropped in prison yards," said state Sen. Ted Gaines. "The concern is that you drop a handgun in a prison yard or a knife or drugs, things of that nature."

He's authored several bills that would restrict flying drones near fires and in sensitive areas like schools and prisons.

The sheriff's department says it has investigated at least two instances where remote control aircraft have been spotted near their jails. Now they want to install anti-drone technology around their 640-acre Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility in south Sacramento County. They're working with a San Diego-based company called Skysafe that has created an aerospace detection system for drones.

So how does it work? Video on their website shows a product being able to take over an aircraft's radio-controlled navigation and make it fall to the ground.

The California Department of Corrections says it's also studying anti-drone technology, but they haven't done any field testing.

Gaines says he's in favor of more research.

"I even read a story that they're using eagles to take down drones in other countries, so there's a lot of different ideas floating about," he said.

If approved, Skysafe would install and maintain the technology around RCCC for free and regularly update jail officials on any kind of intrusion detected.