SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. — Police in Sunny Isles Beach are using their new drones to help enforce the law.
Last Thursday at around 3:05 a.m., a drone spotted a man identified as Jeffrey Gibson on the beach.
The police department scans the beach for anyone violating the city’s ordinance which says you can’t be on the beach past sundown.
A bright light from the drone was shined on Gibson, and he was not happy about it, making hand gestures indicating his displeasure and yelling at the drone to go away.
“See, he’s very annoyed we’re trying to get him to move,” said Sunny Isles Beach Police Lt. Melissa Porro.
The importance of this story is to show that as recent as a few months ago, this would not have happened in Sunny Isles.
The city purchased the drones in July for $250,000.
With the bright lights shining on him, Gibson eventually left the beach while keeping and eye on the drone.
It followed him to a bus stop, and Gibson would eventually be arrested on a warrant for trespass after warning, but police said he has a lengthy criminal history, with charges ranging from strong armed robbery to burglary to aggravated assault.
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