Flying squad: Police to get £50k spy in the sky drones
POLICE in Scotland could use drones for covert surveillance, a top officer suggested yesterday.
Plans are under way to trial two £50,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to assist in operations such as missing person searches.
But Deputy Chief Constable Johnny Gwynne said it would be ‘ridiculous’ if they were not also used when secret surveillance could save a life.
Speaking at a Scottish Police Authority (SPA) meeting in Dundee, he said: ‘Our position around the use of UAVs is ordinarily they would be used for overt police work.
‘But it would seem ridiculous if our attempts to save a life would be precluded because we said we won’t use them for that [covert work]. If this becomes regular use, we will bring that back to you and make that visible.’
But the use of drones for surveillance is likely to lead to fears over the invasion of privacy.
Officers currently have one police helicopter, based in Glasgow, but can sometimes find it difficult to reach parts of the country due to ‘challenging geography’.
The Air Support Unit has proposed to buy two commercial ‘off the shelf’ drones, basing them in Aberdeen and Inverness.
A report put before the watchdog said drones would help with missing person and criminal searches as well as assisting with maintaining public order.
Operations will have to adhere to aviation law and will require permission by the Civil Aviation Authority.
When the UAVs are to be used covertly, described as only happening ‘in extremis’, the force will be bound by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
A privacy impact assessment is also to be carried out.
Ailidh Callander, legal officer at the Privacy International campaign group, said: ‘Because of the intrusive nature, Police Scotland must only use drones where it is necessary and proportionate.
‘Depending on how they are deployed, the use of drones may indiscriminately interfere with the data protection and privacy rights of many individuals who are not the subject of reasonable suspicion and therefore their use should be strictly controlled.’
Meanwhile police also insisted yesterday that an increase in Police Scotland’s Taser capability will not pave the way for the routine arming of officers. Last week the force confirmed 500 officers will be trained to use the stun guns after a sharp rise in the number of assaults.
But Mr Gwynne told the SPA the move would not have wider significance.
So far this year, 969 officers have been assaulted – an increase of nearly 27 per cent on the 764 recorded in 2016.
Mr Gwynne told the Dundee meeting the proposals were aimed at improving the safety of officers
‘Use should be strictly controlled’
and the public but he also said the weapons reduced the risk to offenders.
He added: ‘The good thing about the Taser is that you don’t have to deploy a baton. There is less of a fracas and less physical contact. It is safer for the suspect.’
The Mail revealed last week that police will use a new kind of Taser which can cause greater pain and more muscle contraction.
Mr Gwynne was also asked if the Taser move would pave the way for officers to be issued with guns as part of their standard kit.
He said: ‘We as a command team are not keen for the routine arming of Scottish police officers.’