“Drones in general will be more impactful than I think people recognise in positive ways to help society,” prophesied Bill Gates, and the world has seen this come true since then.
Ironically, while this technology was first used to wage war by Australia to capture Vienna by dropping explosive balloons, drones today are also being used to enforce the law and prevent crimes.
As criminals are getting smarter, so are the police. Today, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or drone technology is used for a wide range of applications by law enforcement agencies. DFR or Drones as First Responders is a concept where law enforcement agencies equip themselves with a sight of the scene before ground units arrive. In Santa Monica, South California, when someone calls 911, a drone is dispatched from the nearby station from the roof, with the push of a button. Officers get there too. However, drones are often the first cop to arrive at the GPS coordinates inserted, sometimes even within 30 seconds.
Traffic Management
One of the early applications of drones by police units began with its use to solve traffic issues. Using drones for surveillance in crowded public areas quickly helps locate the source of the traffic and a police department can proactively resolve it by sending their manpower to eliminate the problem from its already identified source.
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is yet another foray which has been explored through drones as they prove effective in monitoring large processions and gatherings, reducing the time taken to take immediate action. The N.Y.P.D. department in Brooklyn was seen setting up UAVs as the city observed Labour Day this year, to keep an eye on all activities of the day, right from major parades to backyard barbeques. In 2019, Delhi police quelled a protest at Seelampur within two hours, as the department flew five rented drones. With the fear of their faces being caught on tape, protestors forfeited their quest as they caught sight of the UAVs hovering above.
Search and Rescue Operations
Another way drones are used is in search and rescue operations. This is because drones can arrive within minutes of getting an emergency request, beating human responders. Moreover, UAVs can cover areas of a large stretch within seconds, which could otherwise take several minutes for a ground unit to search amidst busy city roads. This application emerged to light recently, when a police drone equipped with infrared capabilities located a man suffering from dementia as he disappeared from a hospital in British Columbia, Canada.
Natural Disasters
Even in tough terrains like forests or high areas where sending people is risky, drones arrive fast and at a much lower cost than a manned helicopter. Further, drones can be used in emergencies to quickly survey natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. The information gathered can then be used to provide aid and support to affected communities. Additionally, this will prove useful in dangerous situations of hostage rescue, car chase, etc. where a police officer can engage a perpetrator from a safe distance without risking his/her life.
Border Security
For border security, drones cover vast stretches which watch over activities of smuggling, unauthorised border crossings, human trafficking, or drug trafficking. The Indian Army will be deploying over 500 drones in challenging terrains including North-East and high altitudes as a replacement for helicopters and mules. The drones will be delivering medicines and essential items to remote Border Observation Posts (BOPs), addressing security gaps in these areas. These drones are equipped to fly through rain, gusty winds, and fog, and have GPS technology allowing the facility of location mapping.
Further, the Border Security Force (BSF) also monitors the India-Bangladesh border and has recently got hold of seven cows allegedly being smuggled into Bangladesh. Reports of this case have revealed that the drone operator detected movement, and guards reached the area within minutes.
Real-time Video Feed
As the applications go on, drones are becoming increasingly specialised. For instance, drones employed in monitoring have been developed to send a high-quality, real-time video feed to a cloud dashboard which can be accessed by its operator, and those with authenticated access.
In India, the police department deployed this to use in the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahmedabad police flew drones over the city to monitor adherence to social distancing norms issued in the country.
Thermal Cameras
Moreover, the integration of thermal cameras is gaining momentum. Drones are equipped with thermal sensors to enhance night-time monitoring and address fire safety concerns. This integration has been implemented by The Greater Chennai City Police's initiation of a ‘Police Drone Unit' in June 2023. The unit, comprising 20 trained police personnel, currently deploys 9 drones over Marina and Elliot's beaches, covering distances of 5-10 kilometres. Rather than deploying ground forces for night-time beach patrols with lights, drones with thermal sensors swiftly identify individuals carrying potentially harmful objects, enabling the ground force to take immediate action.
However, it is important to keep in mind that at present these applications remain in their initial stages. Several issues with data privacy and ethics remain. Further, the technology is yet to evolve to the extent that drones can carry heavier loads, have longer flight times, and fly larger distances. Police departments will have to put in consistent effort to ensure that officers are aware of the technologies shaping up the future, and can put it to the right use, at the right time with ease. Nonetheless, an irrefutable takeaway from the present scenario is that the potential of drones unlocked to date is just the tip of the iceberg, and an unthinkably smart drone-led safety system lies ahead.
