How thousands of police drone flights are helping to tackle crime
THE full extent of high-tech drone surveillance deployed by West Midlands Police to make dozens of arrests and monitor crowds has been revealed in newly-released data.
The eyes in the sky are being used to assist with a wide range of operations, including pursuits, firearms incidents, burglaries, protests and lockdown breaches.
Gang activity has been monitored, crime scenes reconstructed and more than 90 arrests made since the end of last year alone with the aid of aerial imagery.
In total, almost 2,000 flights have been made in the past three years, data released by the force shows.
In May 2020, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to apprehend a man in possession of Class A drugs in Hillfields. Crack cocaine was seized after he was searched, with the stop being carried out by the Coventry Force Support Unit and West Midlands Police drone pilots.
Drones are also being used discreetly to tackle gangs in the city, who have been involved in crimes including drug dealing and gun and knife crime.
Overwatch from the hightech devices during searches has been provided on 183 other occasions during the timeframe. The majority of overt deployments have involved ‘thermal flyovers’ providing heat maps of properties, with 236 flights carried out for this purpose.
The second biggest reason was missing people, with 215 deployments, followed by 68 to check up on personal drone use and 63 area searches.
Three flights were made to check on possible breaches of Covid-19 regulations, with another 55 for football fixtures, 26 for burglaries, 31 for crime scenes and five for firearms incidents and searches.
Away from the frontline, the equipment was used 500 times for training purposes, representing the bulk of the total 1,846 deployments over the period. However, the force did not release any details of covert use, stating that it was not confirming or denying that it held such information.
Based at Coventry Central Police Station, Tipton and Bournville, the drones are equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal imaging technology. Operators can film crime scenes or provide live feeds direct from major incidents or events such as football matches and protests.
Funded through the Proceeds of Crime Act - where police receive cash raised from convicted criminals’ financial assets - the UAVS make about the same noise as a large fan and can fly to a maximum height of 400ft (120m). They are considered more discreet and cheaper than using helicopters and far quicker than searching large areas by foot.
Thirty-two trained officers and staff operate 10 drones on a 24/7 basis across the region.
Sergeant Keith Bennett, lead officer for drones, highlighted the key role the technology has come to play as he referred to figures since October 2019, when they became a 24/7 resource.
He said: “They have proved invaluable. They have helped in the search for more than 250 missing people and also assisted in the arrest of more than 90 crime suspects.
“They can cover ground so much more quickly than officers on foot. It’s no exaggeration to say they may well have saved lives of missing people, and have also saved lots of police time locating suspects.
“Much like a helicopter, drones are equipped with high resolution, thermal cameras but are a lower cost option with a smaller carbon footprint. We have also used imagery from drones to create aerial reconstructions of serious crime scenes which are used in court as part of prosecutions.the images give juries a clear picture of the crime scene and help them understand the prosecution case.”