Police & UAS

How long will it be before your local bobby is using a Phantom to nick your local robber? Well the Police in Wisconsin recently used a UAS to catch a suspect, hiding in a pond. Ha, you cant make this s*!t up.

http://www.cnet.com/news/police-spot-robbery-suspect-with-drone-arrest-him/

With the CAA, recently handing all illegal UAS matters over to the Police, this will only serve to bring more Police attention to UAS. Both good and bad. In my opinion, this will lead to more UK Police forces, seeing the benefits of having multiple ‘eyes in the sky’, utilising them, just like the Wisconsin Police.

Is this a possibility? Are the Police be required to adhere to the same rules as Hobbyist or Commercial UAS Operators?

Surely it wouldn’t be fair to suggest they are used for Commercial use. Though technically the ‘Pilot in Command’ gets a salary for flying the UAS, but he is a Police Officer first and foremost.

Ultimately, were finance is concerned, using a small fleet of UAS, say 5 Inspires and 10 Phantoms. is always going to be cheaper than the monthly cost of a running and maintaing a full blown Police Helicopter!

When asked about the extortionate cost of running a Police Helicopters, a local Police Force Spokeswoman, stated that £800-£1000 an hour cost, is “justified by the man hours it saves” – You could ground it a year, equip every single Police Car with a Phantom, or Solo, or probably even an Inspire with a thermal and night vision camera to boot, and still have change left over!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1304187/Outrage-police-use-helicopter-catch-shoplifter-cost-1-000-taxpayer.html

So if it is accepted that the Police are not using UAVs for ‘commercial’ applications, then what rules would apply?

Lets pretend for the sake of amusement, that Police cars are equipped with a UAS in the boot, linked to dual screen, a portable one and one mounted to the dash of the car. Would every single Police Officer that users the UAS be required to complete a similar competency exam, similar to the BNUC-s or RPQS? That would prove costly in the current format. Huge amounts of paper work etc etc etc.

In the future 50 years from now, this might be a reality, because the technology within UAS will become so advanced. But that future is well off, and in the mean time, i do think it would be great to see more Police Force utilise UAS.

There are various forces across the UK using UAS for crime prevention now. Surrey and Sussex Police recently spent £250,000 on a new fleet of UAVs! Wonder what platforms they are using, and what rules the are required to adhere too?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32070689

Im not suggesting that every Police Office should or even could be trained to fly a UAS, but in all honestly, in certain circumstances, anyone with eyes and enough fingers can fly a UAS.

My three year old daughter, Esmé, can use my Mac, iphone, ipad and thus she is able to ‘fly’ my Inspire. She knows how to ‘take off’, raise the landing gear, turn the camera film herself and land it. Granted i hold the controller, she hold the ipad, but you get my point. Give it a few years, and UAS will be able to follow a designated target and autonomously fly, avoiding building and people, without the need of a Pilot.

When you are training for you’re UAS licence, who do they tell you can legally encroach on your airspace? A Police Helicopter. They can fly where other Helicopter Pilots cant. If the Police are going to use UAS then the chances are they aren’t going to be operating within the same rules as us anyway!

TU

DJI Inspire, Me and the Police!

If i think of Drones and the Police, i think of one thing…someones in trouble!

Back in December, i blogged about Eddie Mitchell, who was arrested for using his UAS, i think it was a Phantom. He is a CAA approved UAS Pilot, he identified himself, and was flying safely before three offices detrained him, and attempted to land the Aircraft themselves. Eddie was detained for 5 hours. Not needed.

Because of this, i called South Yorkshire Police and informed the confused Officer that took my call, who i was, my contact details and the areas i was flying. I wanted to make sure i covered my ass, and also to give the Police a bit of information about UAS (and after my experience with the Police the other day, im hoping i can work with my local force and help improve their awareness of our industry).

So on tuesday i was out flying. It was the day before my exam, i had been out for an hour that morning and it was about 2pm. I was parked at my one of my usual haunts, a collection of huge fields, that over look a Medieval Castle. Nice.

I was still sat in my car about to get out and set up to fly. They slowed as they approached my car. Both looked at me. Eeek, even though i have nothing to be guilty about, i immediately feel guilty. 20 seconds later, they pull up behind me.

I in a moment of ‘inspiration’ the best way to avoid looking guilty for something i haven’t even done… is my Inspire!

I get out the car with my black plastic case. They give me a strange look. I walk over and ask if they would like to see me fly. Another strange look.

I set up in my usual spot while they dealt with a call. 5 minutes later they are back. One of the Officers walks over, really friendly and asks if he can watch. Of course! I make sure its safe to take off. I begin with showing off the auto take off, impressed him with the auto landing gear, dazzled him with the speed and amazed him with the dual remote live stream feed. He was really impressed. Like really, impressed.

As he said, imagine how much money could be saved using a fleet of small UAV’s, as opposed to a maintaining and refuelling a Helicopter. You can imagine a future where Police cars have their own Drone in the boot and the Ground Station built into the Dash, one drives, one flies, both chase and catch the crim.

CAR ID REMOVED

Anyways i just thought i’d share my very positive experience with South Yorkshire Police, and i hope if you come into contact with Officers in the field, they are as friendly and appreciative.

Thumbs Up SYP!

The start of things to come?

This is what every UAS Pilot fears. The Police swooping in, taking your Drone and arresting you….maybe not like this though.

How is snatching the control system from a qualified Pilot, passing amongst yourselves while you attempt to bring it down, be safe?!?!?

Is this a case of heavy handed Policing, or a simple lack of awareness from the offices who attended, about the law and how UAV’s are flown and controlled?

One one hand, you have a lack of public trust and awareness of Drones (other than the horror stories they read in the Daily Mail) so they see one and automatically panic and call the Police, assuming its dangerous and Illegal.

One the other hand you have the Police, who still across the UK, don’t seem to understand the laws relating to the use of UAV’s. As i mentioned in a previous post, I actually called my local Police Force, and told them about what I was doing, when and where. They had no idea where to direct my call, or even whom I might contact, to help them, have a better understanding on the laws in place, and how we are a town could help pioneer more a ‘Proactive’ approach to the use of Drones.

When I called, they just asked for my name, address, where I would be flying. I was told they would store my details for future reference. That was it.

The Chap in question is called Eddie Mitchell, someone I follow on twitter, and is one of a few qualified and licensed Photojournalists in the UK. I would like to suggest that he is one of the few people the Police and Government should be getting on side, not arresting!

There is such a lack of awareness and fear regarding the use of UAS’s in the UK, and its stories like this and the approach by the police that is making matters worse.

They should encourage links between ‘experienced’ and ‘accredited’ pilots, who know the industry better than anyone. Most importantly, its users like Eddie and other CAA accredited Pilots, who want regulation, who want proper laws putting in place, so the Industry is allowed to exists and we can make a living from it.

It is one of my big worries that one day ill turn around to see the flash of blue lights coming towards me.

Eddie Mitchells Twitter is

https://twitter.com/brightonsnapper

Surrey Police arresting me a UAV Pilot in Gatwick ATZ whilst the UAV is in mid air,released after nearly 5 hours NFA http://t.co/qvg1J5xkh2—
eddie mitchell (@brightonsnapper) December 30, 2014

The article was in the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/31/photojournalist-police-arrest-drone-complaints

Till next time

Thumbs Up!