Operation Skyhawk Takes Aim at Drones

By Tyrone Oliver, commissioner, Georgia Department of Corrections

For decades, correctional system leaders have diligently worked to prevent the introduction of contraband into prisons across the nation. However, as technology advances, the threats we face have expanded our view from the ground to the skies. The intrusion of drones into our airspace represents an increasingly significant risk to correctional facilities and the surrounding communities.

How Drones are Used to Smuggle Contraband

Drones represent a low-risk, high-reward method for delivering contraband to offenders within our correctional system. As the cost of drones decreases, and their availability increases for consumers, breaching prison perimeters has become easier. Additionally, drones provide anonymity that individuals on foot do not have, increasing their appeal for smuggling activities. A recent investigation by agents from the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) revealed that drone operators were paid between $6,000 and $10,000 for each drop.

The danger posed by drones lies in the undetected contraband that can enter our prisons, with one of the most dangerous being cellphones. Offenders not only profit from contraband sales, but by gaining possession of these illegal cellphones via drones, they have the ability to orchestrate additional drops and continue their criminal enterprises within our communities and across state lines. This poses a serious threat to the security of our prisons as well as the safety of civilians. Inmates have coordinated murder for-hire, assaults on staff and facility disturbances using illicit cellphones.

Another alarming realization amongst correctional officials is that larger drones could potentially support the weight of a human, raising concerns about their use in the escape of an offender.

Operation Skyhawk: Combating Drone Threats

Last year, the GDC partnered with the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force to carry out a state-led initiative called Operation Skyhawk. Using digital forensics, cellular analysis and surveillance techniques, agents were able to locate drone operators and disassemble smuggling networks. The contraband seized during the investigation had an estimated value exceeding $7 million. This operation resulted in a total of 150 suspects arrested and more than 1,000 criminal charges, including contraband smuggling, drug trafficking and possession of firearms by felons.

Strategies for Detection and Prevention

To effectively combat the evolving threat posed by drones in corrections, a single approach is insufficient. Instead we must implement a layered strategy to track and detect both drones and their operators. The GDC addresses this issue through partnerships with local and federal law enforcement agencies, agency investigators, digital forensics units and advanced technologies. Although this method has achieved some success, it is not foolproof. The rapid evolution of drone technology continues to pose new challenges, necessitating ongoing enhancements to our capabilities.

Legal and Policy Challenges

Correctional agencies across the U.S. face similar challenges in addressing drone-related threats to their facilities. These agencies have limited resources and technology for drone detection. Currently, the only available options include radio frequency monitoring, radar, acoustic sensors, electro-optical devices and artificial intelligence. However, the most significant obstacle they encounter is the legal restriction against the implementation of measures that would allow physically disabling drones entering correctional facilities. Drones are classified as aircraft and are protected under federal law, making it illegal to interfere with them within the National Airspace System (NAS).

Collaboration and Advocacy on the Path Forward

Correctional officials nationwide are uniting to combat this problem. To drive meaningful change, we must educate our legislators both at state and federal levels. Progress cannot be made without collaboration and advocacy for essential policy changes needed to better protect our staff, inmates, facilities and communities.

Tyrone Oliver serves as the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) and is a member of the Correctional News Editorial Advisory Board. With more than 25 years in law enforcement, he was appointed to lead GDC in 2023 after previous service as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. The GDC oversees 35 state prisons, housing approximately 49,000 inmates and employing approximately 9,000 staff members. Oliver is a valued member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Correctional News.

 

This story was originally published in the March/April Edition of Correctional News.