10 drone crimes a day
Police see 12-fold jump in offences linked to gadgets
UP TO ten crimes involving drones are reported to police every day amid a surge in their popularity, an investigation has found.
Drones are at the centre of thousands of incidents such as rows between neighbours, prison smuggling, ‘ scoping’ before burglaries, mid-air near misses and snooping.
Crimes logged by police rocketed between 2014 and 2016 – last year there were 3,456 incidents, equivalent to nearly ten a day.
It is almost triple the 2015 figure of 1,237 and more than 12 times the 2014 tally of 283.
The true total is likely to be higher as full data was not available for all UK forces.
The findings, based on Freedom of Information requests, coincide with a jump in sales of drones, which cost as little as £30 and often come with built-in cameras.
Police were asked for data on incidents in 2014, 2015 and 2016. There were year-on-year rises in most areas. Sussex Police recorded the highest number last year, with 240, followed by Greater Manchester at 225.
Records reveal the devices are present in a range of situations.
In one instance, a man said he suspected his neighbour was flying a drone ‘just to annoy him’.
Another neighbour was subjected to ‘effing and blinding’ when she confronted a man flying a drone. He then threatened to ‘hit her and her husband’.
Drones have also been used to drop drugs and other contraband into prisons. Substances previously known as ‘legal highs’ were flown into one jail.
In a number of cases, members of the public raised concerns that drones were used for snooping. A drone was said to have been flown over a garden repeatedly while girls were sunbathing.
Two pilots also reported that drones were coming too close to the planes they were flying. Another drone was flown in a densely populated area near a busy heliport.
And there were several instances in which criminals were suspected of using drones to ‘scope out’ properties ahead of break-ins.
One burglary was reported after a drone was seen hovering over the house.
Professor David Dunn, of Birmingham University, said people face a ‘major challenge’ maintaining their privacy at home because of the proliferation of drones.
He said: ‘Previously you had a hedge, you had a wall and you could do whatever you wanted in your garden without people disturbing you.
‘That has changed because of drones. It’s true for celebrities. It’s true for everyone. Anecdotally I’ve heard that burglars using drones is a big issue for police forces.
‘People are using them to fly behind properties to see if the lights are on, to see what sort of French windows they have or whether there are windows open.’
Drone users must follow restrictions on flying them near crowds, people and built-up areas.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for drones, said: ‘As awareness of what drones are and what they can do continues to grow, police forces have seen increases in concerns and reports by the public.
‘We have to balance the growth of this technology by ensuring that the public are aware of the strong regulatory framework and detailed user guidance that is available relating to drone use.’
Ministers are considering a number of additional safety measures, including mandatory registration of new drones.