Devon & Cornwall Police (UK) trial HD camera drones for first time

www.devon-cornwall.police.uk

Police are to embark on a six-month trial of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset to aid officers in a number of policing matters including missing people searches and crime scene photography.

Starting on the 2nd of November, police in Devon and Cornwall will be able to call upon the services of two DJI Inspire 1 Drones which are equipped with high definition (HD) cameras which can capture both video and still images.

Devon & Cornwall Constabulary is the largest (geographically) police area in England, covering urban and rural moorland areas, and everything in between the North and South coasts of the SW peninsular of England. I have no problem with our cops here, they are the friendliest police service I have ever had dealings with, and I can't actually remember the last time I heard of any brutality from them.

That said, they are trialing drones for the first time now so it will be interesting to see how this pans out,privacy concerns? Use of them in fishing operations? Who knows.

The official line is...

Using a drone to capture footage on difficult terrain and hard to reach areas such as cliffs, woodland or the moors to find a missing person, combat wildlife crime or even a firearm incident, will allow officers to gain vital information, quickly, safely, and allow us to respond effectively at the scene.

...and indeed, a drone has already been deployed in a search for a missing person already this week.

I've got an open mind about the use of drone tech, I can see the benefits but can also imagine ways that they could be used to invade privacy if the police wanted to. Either way, it was bound to come sooner or later so bitchin' about it isn't gonna change anything soon.

On a lighter note, the police have created their own Twitter account for the drone team, and it can be found here: twitter.com...

...oh, and I'm loving the cute little high-vis yellow/blue Battenburg markings they've stuck on their drones, at least if I see one flying near my home I'll know it's the police kindly making sure I'm safe and sound, lol.

i just looked up the flight times,there only about 20 mins i wonder if they could be adapted to receive a charge from a uk streetlight as this would allow them to keep them in the field longer and it wouldnt be that much modification to the streetlight as there is power at the top and would allow them to sit on various housing estates across the country and be deployed from random area's or maybe on the top of certain highrises.

how would you even go about suggesting this as its really quite easy???

What's not to like about them?

As long as you've got nothing to hide right?

In all fairness, their use in searching for missing people is a good call.

I'm not sure about your call on 'they are going to do it anyway, so stop bitching'. If we all took that attitude, they will be spying on our internet activity next. Oh hang on.

a reply to: stuthealien

That's a scary thought, hundreds of zones in urban areas sitting on high rise roofs re-charging, waiting, watching...Mwahaha [evil laugh]

Regarding recharge though, on the police link they say they can fly for 18 minutes and they carry loads of batteries to just switch over as needed by the operator.
A bit like me and my cordless work tools, always two batteries on charge at a time lol

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
What's not to like about them?

As long as you've got nothing to hide right?

In all fairness, their use in searching for missing people is a good call.

Agreed, if it can help our shore cliff rescue services and the Dartmoor rescue teams then of course that is always a good thing.

I'm not sure about your call on 'they are going to do it anyway, so stop bitching'. If we all took that attitude, they will be spying on our internet activity next. Oh hang on.

Haha, completely, I'll continue bitchin' wherever, as I always have though, but yep, won't change anything...the internet spying thing is a good example...but as I have nothing to hide I guess I shouldn't worry, or should I?

a reply to: grainofsand

For any of you free thinkers in the UK....

Better get it into gear fast.
Being the lapdog of US/Saudi/Israel could be putting you first in line for the next ISIS false flag.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

Not sure exactly how your thoughts relate to my local plod getting drones, but that said, what do you suggest ordinary citizens such as myself do to prepare for 'the next ISIS false flag' as you state?

On that note I would be surprised if anything happened here in the sleepy South West, it's always London or big cities which get the 'terror' but that in itself is strange as it would be so much easier to get away with such an attack using our rural road system etc.
Perhaps I've said too much, but hey it is common sense for any would be terrorist I guess...and at least now Devon & Cornwall plod can chase them with the shiny new little drones.

a reply to: grainofsand

I can see the headlines now:

Devon and Cornwall police thwart IS attack on Farmer Pard's milking parlour with drone surveillance. The terrorists got their wellies stuck in the mud, too.

Cliff and sea rescue - a handy tool. For watching us - another Orwellian tactic. I'm no fan of the surveillance society.

I am in SW, too. Right at the very south west tip of the southwest tip of this England. If I try to move even further away from it all I'll be in the sea.

a reply to: Revolution9

Haha!
How about "D&C Police drone spots non-white person on Bodmin moor, armed response unit called" as a headline?

Remember those two black guys who were tooled up looking to kidnap singer Joss Stone in rural mid-Devon, they attracted enough attention that they were caught before they had a chance to do anything.
On the last census the SW ranges from 95-98% white/christian/no-religion folk, so I guess that probably puts the average extremist Islamic terrorists at a disadvantage here.

...you are only just a little more South and West from me, I'm not far from East Prawle, one of my favourite places to camp by the sea...guess our beach parties are at risk now with the new police drones lol

a reply to: grainofsand

I have never been to East Prawle. It looks very beautiful. I am the Land's End side of Penzance.

Yes, it is strange and quite lonely for me here. I am actually very multi cultural and don't mind a bit of the melting pot. I lived in a Muslim community and with Jamaicans for a fair few years. I miss that sometimes. However, I like the Cornish people, too. It is so quiet here I wonder what the drone will do other than what you suggested. I reckon it will end up helping out in rescues and missing people more than anything else.

Hey, we are very lucky guys to have all this beautiful nature on our very door steps.

the uk operates predator drones in the middle east you know,so it would not be to hard to fly them here anyway,except around airports which is where these tiny babies would come in..
but lets hope our military stay in control of the predator drones and not the police.
uk predator drones


oh i fully support uk drones over our skies and will not be signing the petition

a reply to: Revolution9

Yep, I agree that we are lucky here, decent friendly cops in the main, and I imagine the drones will mainly be used in search & rescue because that is a big part of the emergency services job here - moorland/cliffs/shore etc.
I don't know if you are aware of the D&C police chief and commissioner petition for funding on a par with urban forces?
Our cops are funded based on the Winter population and the 11 million Summer visitors are not taken into account.

I was speaking to a cop the other day and I said to him (exact quote) "Aren't you guys #ed if you lose another couple of hundred officers?" (they don't mind swearing if it's in context) and he replied "Tell me about it, we're just lucky most people here are decent and don't wanna start riots or anything [laugh]".

...if I start seeing high-vis D&C police drones hovering over my house though, I might change my mind lol

a reply to: stuthealien

Haha! Predator drones are a different kettle of fish all together!!
The day Devon & Cornwall Constabulary get those is the day I start #ting it for my safety!

a reply to: grainofsand

sorry but you best get used to it ,its nearly a fact they will be used on the new carrier to arrive very soon indeed

originally posted by: stuthealien
a reply to: grainofsand

sorry but you best get used to it ,its nearly a fact they will be used on the new carrier to arrive very soon indeed

Interesting, you got any links/sources regarding that rather unsettling thought?

On some areas of the Devon coast, you can only visit the bottom of the cliffs when the tide is going or is already out. If the tide is coming in and someone is thought to be lost, it's impossible to risk volunteers going down to the beaches, let alone callling out a helicopter for someone who might not be there. But if they can launch a drone, have it zip across the beach, that search can be done in minutes.

a reply to: stormcell

Yep, definitely, I live here and cliifjump in the Summer so I see the advantages, but using that argument it would make more sense for HM Coastguard to have the drones as that is the most frequent missing person shout in these parts...well, sea cliffs and Dartmoor/Bodmin moor.

originally posted by: Revolution9
a reply to: grainofsand

I can see the headlines now:

Devon and Cornwall police thwart IS attack on Farmer Pard's milking parlour with drone surveillance. The terrorists got their wellies stuck in the mud, too.

Cliff and sea rescue - a handy tool. For watching us - another Orwellian tactic. I'm no fan of the surveillance society.

I am in SW, too. Right at the very south west tip of the southwest tip of this England. If I try to move even further away from it all I'll be in the sea.

I'm also in the SW and also not a fan of the surveillance society.

It's only a matter of time....

a reply to: Sham80

Lots of us here on ATS from SW England, I wonder if it the abundance of former Tin mines draws us more towards making ourselves the foil hats?


...here's the latest video from the police drone searching for a missing person on Dartmoor:
twitter.com...

If they help the community in that sort of way then I've no real problems with it.