Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has said that drones should replace the National Police Air Service helicopter after admitting that often the NPAS base is ‘too far away’. PCC Jones has said that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary rarely use up their flying hours because, by the time the helicopter reaches the target area, in most instances, the ‘burglar’ has gone. At a recent National Police Chiefs Council conference it was said that drones with wider capabilities and an increased range would be a more economical way to run Police air support. Currently, all forces across the country pay to fund the National Police Air Service (NPAS) at a cost of more than £40million per year. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary pays a whopping £4.7million as their part of the NPAS contract. Speaking at that conference in Westminster, Donna Jones said:
“I think that drones have a part to play in the replacement of the helicopter in the future potentially. These helicopters are incredibly expensive.” She continued: “By the time they’ve been deployed to their base to let’s say, a burglary in action or someone running away at night-time using the infrared cameras that have on them, the time to get from their base to the location they’re needed in police forces often means that there is limited use of them. “Drones are much quicker. They’re much more agile. The technology now is improving incredibly, and Police and Crime Commissioners have been pushing strongly to the Home Office that drones should be a very viable alternative.” “So we have made representation through the APCC to the Home Office on this and the policing minister is aware, and we will have ongoing discussions that could potentially save tens of millions of pounds.”
If approved, it is expected that progress will take a few years to be made.
“If approved, it is expected that progress will take a few years to be made.”
Typical red tape fiasco… How long does it take to order some ‘special’ drones and train some pilots ????
Will the Island have a drone of it’s own or will that have to be brought over from the mainland each time it’s needed like most police resources?
Looks like Orwell’s vision of the future was too optimistic.
Stupid idea, once again saving cash and that is all.
Why is it a stupid idea? Drones currently track and kill individuals quite accurately. All the Police need is for the tracking bit, for the moment.
Drones are quieter, can hover over a neighbourhood and harvest all your data, microphones can pick up conversations inside your own home etc.
It already exists.
I’m ready for the usual hate/down votes, from the usual idiots, bring it on bitches
how does it work?
… now you’ve had to think about the answer, you realise how fucking stupid you sound?
Maybe we could get rid of the commissioner and replace her with something useful like a door stop, that would also save us some money.
quite right,a doorstop is more useful,and only costs a couple of quid,unlike the £80.000 a year shes on,utter waste of money
Great idea. Drones just like helicopters do currently have there limitations to flying especially when very windy, although some of the professional drones have gyros, GPS, night vision cameres, infrared cemeras on them etc that counter reacts to wind gusts etc. They are very useful things and I personally think its a great idea. I expect the Island would have a least one in the RRV unit’s which would be deployed silently and more importantly quickly right in the location that’s needed to be searched. Millions and millions of pounds could be saved on our precepts potentially? I have no objections to seeing these flying about by professional trained Police officers, which they ofcourse would be.
The General Atomics MQ-1 drone will fly in all weathers, and has a 24 hours flying endurance, the Service ceiling is 25,000 ft (7,600m). It can carry 2x AGM Hellfire missiles which would certainly act as a deterrent to speeding.
Love the idea of missiles going after speeders.
Ukraine use them to great effect and at a low cost. Here, it will need committees, brown envelopes, go vastly over budget and not work.
…and replace police officers with Dread-type robots too.
Why not both it would be better than doing away with hands on helicopters .
Does Donna mean ” when the police arrive the burglars have gone” ?