Crime Fighting Blimp? Police in Utah Eying Unmanned Blimp for Night Patrol

OGDEN, Utah (CBS/AP) Police in Utah are considering using an unmanned blimp with night-vision capabilities as a crime fighting eye-in-the-sky.

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The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports the Utah Center for Aeronautical Innovation and Design at Weber State University is designing the 52-foot-long blimp.

Bradley Stringer, director of UCAID, called the blimp, "an extra patrolman in the sky," reports the paper.

Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey says the cigar-shaped aircraft would be remotely controlled or fly on autopilot.

Plans call for night-vision video that can be viewed in real-time at ground level, and for moving the blimp for extra patrol or video surveillance.

In the past, the design center has created fixed-wing and rotary-wing surveillance aircraft, but the blimp would be a first.

Police Chief Jon Greiner says plans are in preliminary stages and the cost hasn't been determined. Stringer says there is no contract or official timeline for production of the blimp.