Sky’s the limit as drones help force to fight crime
IT’S the latest crime fighting weapon to be deployed by South Wales Police – but to see it, you better look to the sky.
The force has 10 pilots using drones to try to catch people breaking the law.
The force is currently using them in a bid to stop anti-social behaviour and, in particular, off-road bikes blighting lives of residents in Cardiff parks.
Two hotspots are Trelai park and Plymouth Great Wood.
People who live near the wood are the worst affected, but the problem stretches much wider as the noise of the bikes travels.
Sergeant Jay Davies devised the police clampdown called Operation Red Mana, working with local residents and councillors.
It has been so successful it has been rolled out from Ely and Caerau to Fairwater and Cardiff Bay.
Police have not only received the information needed to seize bikes, they have also found the techniques act as a deterrent to the riders.
Sgt Davies said: “There’s two distinct types of riders, the ones who go on the road without helmets and are a danger to themselves and everyone else, and the second kind, who go to private land and ride about.
“They don’t realise that the sound created gets carried. They don’t realise the effect that has on people.”
PC Darren Burgess is one of the pilots and believes that drones are the future of policing.
He said: “The helicopter costs thousands and it can’t always be deployed. The drone can’t always [go out], but, as these evolve, they will be out more and more.”
Drones can also be used in searches for missing people, for public order incidents and in large crowds.
The drones can travel up to 40mph and, most importantly, can capture high quality images from a distance.