On June 16th, 2023, Governor Pritzker signed into law the Illinois Drones as First Responders Act. This law permits the use of a drone by law enforcement agency at a special event, parade, or routed event to prepare for or observe crowd size, density and movement assess public safety staffing: or oversee the general safety of the participants. In accordance with the law: Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office will be operating drone technology on the following day:
Saturday, July 13th, 2024 prior to and during NAMI Sauk Area 5k Run
This allows for real-time monitoring (not recording) of public safety during the event. The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office requests attendees to report any suspicious person(s) or activity by calling 911
