The use of drones by law enforcement has grown exponentially over the last few years. This is due to advances in drone technology, but also because drones have become increasingly affordable and accessible. As more law enforcement agencies use drones to conduct operations, there is a growing need for an effective drone program to help police departments manage risk and reduce the potential for misuse of unmanned aerial systems. increase. This article describes the benefits of using it. Drones for Law Enforcement and public safety.
How are drones used in law enforcement?
Drones have many uses in law enforcement, including mapping crime scenes, assisting investigations by providing aerial footage during stakeouts and searches, finding missing persons, and assisting in tactical operations.
One of the main uses of drones is search and rescue operationshas proven to be an excellent tool for finding missing persons.
Due to their small size and compactness, drones have the advantage of being able to fly at lower altitudes and in tighter spaces than manned aircraft, allowing them to see more of the area covered and increase the likelihood of locating people. increase.
Drones are also used to track suspects, monitor high-crime areas, map accident sites, and assist after man-made and natural disasters.
Videos and images captured by drones can also be used to apprehend and convict criminals.
One area where the use of drones is gaining momentum is crash site reconstruction. Using drones to map the crash site, Photogrammetry software like Pix4D, investigators create detailed 3D maps of the crash site to help them better analyze what happened. This data can be used by those involved in the crash for legal proceedings and insurance claims.
Benefits of Using Drones in Law Enforcement
There are many benefits to using drone technology in law enforcement, but perhaps most importantly, it helps save lives and keep communities safe.
The drone is small, compact and easy to deploy. These design features allow for very rapid deployment. Drones can fly in and around areas that are unsafe or dangerous for personnel and capture high-definition video and images for all types of public safety operations.
For law enforcement agencies, drone technology has proven to be an important tool in responding to emergency situations safely, quickly and efficiently.
Over the last few years, many law enforcement agencies have started using drones as a way to increase their capabilities and improve their operations.
2020, bard college conducted a survey on the number of public security agencies using drone technology for public safety operations.
They found that at least 1,578 state and local agencies have acquired drones, 70% of which are local law enforcement agencies.
No, there is no doubt that these law enforcement agencies recognize the value that drones offer and are using the technology to fight crime and keep their communities safe.
One of the main advantages of drones is rapid data acquisition. Because drones are easy to deploy, law enforcement officers can fly them into the air in minutes to monitor and capture videos and images of incidents.
In any type of emergency, getting accurate information about the situation is key to launching an effective response, and drones enable emergency response teams to do just that.
This article provides some examples of how drone technology is being used by law enforcement to fight crime and protect public safety.
For law enforcement, there are several ways drones can help improve operations and save lives.
First, drones can be used to increase situational awareness. This allows you and your cop to avoid dangerous situations and react more quickly when things get dangerous.
For example, this article details some of the ways drones are being used. LAPD and SWAT Team This allowed the rapid spread of dangerous situations and reduced risk to personnel and the public.
In one case, drones were used to locate where a dangerous suspect had barricaded himself in a house, and with the help of drones, police officers located the suspect and arrested him without hurting anyone. .
Drones allow law enforcement to quickly obtain information about large crowds and monitor large events such as sporting events and concerts. This will enable first responders and authorities to respond more quickly to emergencies and more effectively respond to other incidents.
Drone technology can be used to improve search and rescue operations. In fact, search and rescue operations have become one of the primary uses of drones by law enforcement.
DJI has an interactive map It is one of many reported cases of using drones to search for missing persons.
At the time of this writing, the map contains details of over 500 rescue missions, resulting in over 880 lives saved in over 39 countries. Of course, these are just those reported to DJI, so the number is definitely much higher.
Drone technology is also being used to improve public safety and security. For example, drones can be used to protect large public gatherings such as sporting events and concerts.
Police departments often use drones to monitor such large-scale events. In some cases, drones are used to provide a safe perimeter around events, as seen at air shows and music festivals.
In other cases, drones are used to provide a more detailed view of a crowd than a human cop would see from the ground. This is especially useful when dealing with large crowds that may contain people with criminal intent.
What kind of drones do police use?
There are many types of drones used by police, but the most common ones include those from DJI, Yuneec, and Autel.
Many of these drones are equipped with dual camera systems, including an RGB camera and a thermal camera.
Using multiple sensor cameras increases flexibility and operational efficiency for police and other law enforcement agencies.
These drones and camera systems are very useful for surveillance, gathering evidence, and identifying suspects.
Many of these drones can also be fitted with additional payloads such as lights, speakers and even delivery mechanisms to deliver essential supplies such as food, medicine and first aid kits in emergencies such as the aftermath of natural disasters. increase.
They can operate day or night, and many can fly in the most extreme weather conditions.
Best Drones for Law Enforcement
This is not a comprehensive list, but it is one of the most popular drones in law enforcement and public safety operations. Many of these drones come with dual sensor payloads that include RGB and infrared cameras. These are arguably the best type of drone for law enforcement operations as they have enhanced features that provide better data acquisition during field operations.
There are also things like the DJI Matrice drone that are compatible with different types of payloads, such as LiDAR and night vision sensors. The Matrice drone also comes with an IP rating that allows it to operate in all kinds of weather conditions.
One of the latest drones for public safety is the DJI Matrice 30T. This is a compact foldable drone that comes with a multi-sensor payload that includes a high-definition RGB camera, an infrared camera, a night vision sensor, and a laser range. finder. The drone also features a long flight time of 41 minutes, a transmission range of 15km, and an IP55 rating for all-weather operation.
A very popular drone for law enforcement is the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced Edition. It is a compact drone with a folding structure and a dual camera system. Along with its features, it has a 1/2-inch RGB sensor capable of capturing 4k video and 48MP images, an infrared camera with a resolution of 640×512, a frame rate of 30Hz, and a temperature accuracy of ±2°C. The drone also comes with an RTK module that provides centimeter-level accuracy, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, about 30 minutes flight time, and 10km transmission distance.
Many law enforcement agencies may not need multi-sensor payloads. In this case, there are many great prosumer drones that will suit their needs. One of his most popular drones is the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. This drone is equipped with his large 1-inch sensor that can capture HD video footage and 20MP images. It has a flight time of about 30 minutes, a transmission range of 7km, and has intelligent functions such as autonomous flight mode and automatic return function.
How much do these drones cost? Drones with dual/multi-sensor payloads range in price from $4000 for the Parrot Anafi Thermal to around $24000 for the Matrice 300RTK with the Zenmuse H20T multi-sensor payload.
Prosumer drones like the Phantom 4 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom range in price from $1,500 to $3,000.
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- DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced
- DJI Matrice 300 RTK
- DJI Matrix 30T
- DJI Phantom 4 Pro
- DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
- Parrot Anafi USA
- Parrot Anafi Thermal
- Autel Evo Dual 640T
privacy issues
One of the main concerns of the public regarding drones is the issue of privacy, especially for drones used by police and other law enforcement agencies. They want to know how their data is used and protected, and what precautions are taken to prevent drones from being abused. For public institutions like the police, it is up to them to quell public fears and reassure them that the data they collect in the form of videos and photographs will always be safe and will only be used for their intended purpose. .
As mentioned in this article, public concerns can be allayed by demonstrating the benefits of using drones, and their use will be tightly regulated to prevent misuse.
For more information
If you work in law enforcement and are looking for more information on how drones can help your department and how to start a drone program, check out the following links:
final thoughts
In this article, we discussed the benefits that drones bring to law enforcement. Drones offer an alternative to tracking suspects, monitoring large groups of people and events, and are excellent tools for search and rescue operations.
