Sheriff: Terrorists will turn to drones as next weapons of destruction
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw warns that as police harden traditional targets
By Terri Parker
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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (WPBF) — In the wake of the New Orleans terror attack, Palm Beach County is bolstering its defenses.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw warns that as police harden traditional targets, terrorists may pivot to new tactics—specifically drones.
“The next point of attack will probably be the drones,” said Bradshaw.
Bradshaw says he has implemented some new protections around Mar-a-Lago and Trump International Golf Club and stresses his teams and the Secret Service are already able to dismantle any drones that fly over either place.
Bradshaw says it’s not just airspace that demands attention—he’s also urging the local business community to keep its eyes open on the ground.
A key focus is training staff at hotels, rental car agencies, and other service providers to recognize red flags—because one tip could stop the next attack.
The program is called B-Pat – “Business Partners Against Terrorism.”
Bradshaw says it works.
“And the hotels, we’ve actually had some hotels call us. The desk clerk says ‘The guy in room so-and-so, he’s acting strange, there’s a lot of traffic.'”
“We solve some human trafficking cases because of that. So, there’s a lot of people seeing a lot of things, and they shouldn’t hesitate to call it in because it may be part of the puzzle we’re looking for,” said Bradshaw.
Bradshaw calls it a cornerstone of “See Something, Say Something,” a campaign he’s renewing to make sure no tip slips through the cracks.
“How many times have we seen not just a terrorist event, but a mass shooting at either a school or a business or someplace where there’s a lot of people that afterwards somebody says, ‘Well, I figured that was going to happen,'” he said.
“Well, if you figured it was going to happen, why didn’t you tell somebody?” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw says you should not feel shy about calling in a concern – and he reassures you they won’t go up to the person and alert them you called — instead, they may conduct a background check or do some online surveillance.
He plans to restart the B-Pat program in the next few weeks.
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