Use of drones in police and uniformed services
Police and all uniformed services, except for the military, of course, are generally not associated with the use of modern technology and following electronic innovations. However, this situation is slowly beginning to change-with the generational change in the police, much is also changing in the methodology of the formation. For several years, investment in modern solutions, such as drones, has begun on a wider scale. Of course, the Polish police is not a great innovator in this field, already a few years ago in Western European countries and North America began testing drones for their usefulness in supporting the activities of uniformed services.
What specific applications have they found drones in the police? First, they help in the search for the missing. With the ability to quickly reach hard-to-reach places and retrofitting the drone with thermal imaging, a search operation can be carried out more efficiently, quickly and cheaply than with traditional means. Polish police use unmanned flying machines mainly for such, more "peaceful" purposes. However, in North America, special units are also being equipped with drones - the equipment is then mainly intended to be used for good planning of actions and observation of the terrain and how criminals are moving around.
Another fairly popular use of drones is to observe and measure traffic volume. In many countries, including Poland, drones are beginning to be used to observe the situation on the roads and catch drivers who threaten the safety of other road users. Drone hovering in the air can record violations. Sometimes drones are also equipped with speed cameras, so that no unnecessary bravado escapes the attention of the services. The first tests of drones for Polish roadside police applications took place in the Silesian Police Department. Uniformed officers stressed that the advantages of the new machines are primarily their small size, the ability to observe discreetly, and the simplicity of operation. The latter was what police officers cared about most- after a few hours trainings virtually everyone is able to operate a drone, so there is no need to hire outsiders.
If bomb alerts are declared, drones often turn out to be indispensable. They can approach the dangerous cargo to enable its identification and neutralization. Wherever the lives of officers could be directly threatened, a drone is used, the possible loss of which will not be as much of a problem as the loss of life.
An extremely interesting application of drones that has been invented recently is the observation and tracking of suspects. How it differs from traffic surveillance? With the development of quieter and quieter propulsion systems, it has become possible to use drones in detective activities. Wherever police need to collect evidence or track down a suspect in an urban area, drones are proving to be a new quality. Interestingly, several detective agencies, including Polish ones, have already come up with a similar idea of using drones. So don't be surprised that in a few years' time, evidence in divorce cases will be photos from unmanned flying machines.