Yesterday was a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the Drone as First Responder concept in partnership with Norfolk Constabulary which is leading one of the trials this year to see how this innovative technology can boost operational policing.

A drone in a rooftop box was deployed remotely from a mobile control room in a search for a simulated report of a missing person. The drone arrived at the location in seconds, giving a clear ‘eye in the sky’ view of the scene and supporting in the search.

The imagery is then available for subsequent investigation and the drone initially deployed can team with neighbouring DFR drones to effect handovers when battery levels mean the on-scene drone needs to return to base. At the end of the task, they will return to their boxes and re-charge to prepare for the next deployment.

Superintendent Taryn Evans is strategic lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council Drones team. She said: “Each trial enables us to test how DFR could work in different environments and support different operational purposes, enhancing both public and officer safety.”

Drones can be used effectively alongside traditional air support to provide a blended response which is fast and can reduce environmental impact.

The Norfolk trial is part of four DFR trials across the country, the first led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police at the Isle of Wight Festival where a simulated DFR capability was deployed alongside the force’s routine police drones resource. This will be replicated in further trials at a range of events throughout the summer.

An additional trial is also in planning with West Midlands Police later in 2024 so watch this space for further news.

Thanks go to the University of East Anglia for providing the ideal location and support for the continuing trials.

“The Norfolk trial is an important showcase of just how effective DFR can be at supporting our response to 999 calls, arriving on scene quickly and giving invaluable ‘eyes in the sky’.

DFR is part of a larger NPCC Drones programme, which is establishing robust governance, standardisation and sharing of expertise across the UK’s wide network of police drone operators. The work to date has focused on improvements to the way the 400 drones already flown by UK police officers are operated within visual line of sight (VLOS). This aims to increase confidence in police drone operations by the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, which should in turn facilitate an easier transition to beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and DFR operations in the future.

National Police Chiefs Council

6 August 2024