Drone arsenal to be unleashed on police pursuits, fires and major events
In a hi-tech revamp of operations, Victoria Police will roll out a new fleet of drones this month, fast-tracking the way they patrol crowds, respond to emergencies and catch suspects on the run.
Future Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Future Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A drone force would be unleashed on high-speed pursuits as Victoria Police looks to the skies in a new crime-fighting front.
The aerial arsenal would be launched from high-rise buildings within minutes of an emergency and tail vehicles fleeing police.
Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has declared drones will be fundamental in how the force deals with crime and critical incidents in the future.
Its new drone unit will begin flights this month with nine remote-piloted aircraft.
As many as 50 drones will be added by August next year.
Mr Ashton said “as technology improves, this equipment will become lighter, faster, cheaper and have greater durability”.
“We anticipate drones would be particularly useful during pursuits, where we could program them to keep an eye on moving targets,’’ Mr Ashton said. “As the battery life of drones expands, we could easily have drones following speeding and stolen cars along freeways, and pursuing vehicles that have fled police.
“We could also deploy drones during siege situations or have them fly overhead to monitor crowd behaviour during major events, patrol coastlines during drowning incidents and deliver life-jackets, or monitor emergencies such as fires.
“Having this capability provides a significant boost to safety for both the community and our frontline police, particularly during high-risk incidents.”
Victoria Police’s drone unit will initially comprise nine battery-powered quadcopters — three Matrice 210 models and six smaller Mavic Pros — fitted with cameras that operate for 30-40 minutes.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority restrictions mean drones cannot be flown beyond the pilot’s line of sight but it’s anticipated in the future there will be exemptions for law enforcement as technology improves.
The drones will be deployed to monitor and assess crime scenes, major emergencies, protests and search and rescue missions.
They could also drop essential items such as communication equipment, first-aid kits, food or water to those in need.
Mr Ashton said as drone technology improved their uses would grow even further.
It is envisaged it would take at least a decade until drones were able to monitor vehicles evading police. Regulations would also need to change.
“It may get to the point where we can deploy drones at a moment’s notice from the tallest buildings in the city to any scene across Victoria,’’ he said. “We see drones as becoming a core part of policing. They will give us greater situational awareness and the ability to respond to incidents as they’re happening.
“We expect drones to relieve demand on the Police Air Wing, allowing that unit to respond solely to critical jobs and rescues.
“Technology is ever-changing and evolving and we expect drones to get faster, more durable, more lightweight and have better camera systems.
“Regardless of where we take these in the future, the core function of this equipment is around community safety, cameras would only be used if operationally required.”
MORE FUTURE VICTORIA:
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR VICTORIA’S FUTURE?
HOW AUSSIE RETIREMENT RATES STACK UP
WOULD YOU PAY TO DRIVE IN AND OUT OF THE CBD?
HOW TO READ OUR INTERACTIVE MAP
\
The new drone unit is part of a hi-tech revamp in how Victoria Police operates.
It also includes the rollout of body-worn cameras, fitting the highway patrol fleet with automatic number plate recognition technology to detect unregistered or stolen cars and a New York-style monitoring and assessment centre, giving real-time access to intelligence and CCTV cameras.
Pick up a copy of your Herald Sun for part one of our Future Victoria series, and follow all the updates at heraldsun.com.au/futurevic.