A STATE-of-the-art eye in the sky has helped police track down a suspect, search for a missing person and view the aftermath of car crashes from above – all in the first week of its trial.
Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police have just begun a six-month test of a new drone, and it has already been used to support officers at five incidents.
Although not yet deployed in Rugby, the drone has helped officers search for a man who abandoned a suspected stolen vehicle near Bromsgrove, a missing person in Nuneaton, and victims of traffic collisions in Bridgnorth near Evesham.
It also took photos following a road traffic collision near Shifnal which may be used as evidence.
Inspector Damian Sowrey who is overseeing the trial said: “During the first week of the trial – despite challenging wet and windy weather conditions – the drone has helped us gather evidence by taking aerial photographs of road traffic collisions and also assisted officers search an area by providing an aerial view that can be viewed from the ground.
“During the trial drones will be used in two ways – they may be deployed to an incident as a resource to assist or they may be used in a preplanned operation for example to help manage public safety at an event.
“Whilst there are a lot of benefits to the use of drones, we are keen to reassure the public that public safety is of paramount importance at all times. Policies and procedures have been put in place to ensure that air operations using these small drones are carried out safely, ethically and in accordance with relevant CAA regulations.”
Each drone is controlled by a fully trained Operator who has responsibility for the direction and control of the aircraft. A second person referred to as an Observer is responsible for operating the photographic equipment attached to the device.
The data the drones gather is held on a stand-alone system within West Mercia Police, accessible by both forces. The rules that govern the storage of information are the same as body-worn police cameras and CCTV.
Following the trial the results will be evaluated and used to support the decision of whether drones will be formally adopted by the two forces.
