By C1 Staff
TURL TECREEK TWP. — The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has ceased testing a blimp drone at two prison sites.
State officials decided that purchasing the blimp drone, called an aerostat, wouldn’t be a good investment of taxpayer dollars, according to Dayton Daily News.
The aerostat costs $170,000 and is equipped with both day and night cameras. It was tested at the Lebanon and Warren prison sites in October, but officials soon learned that the cameras weren’t strong enough for the prisons’ security needs.
Officials are now looking at developing new outdoor security systems for the prisons. They have not completely ruled out drones.
They are currently working with the Wright Patterson Air Force Base to develop the new security systems. The work is said to be in “the earliest conceptual stages.”