Posted: September 7th, 2024

Police Department Usage of Drones

Police Department Usage of Drones

Introduction
Drones are aircraft with no passengers or any onboard crew, and they are piloted remotely or automatically. These machines fly for relatively long periods at heights and speeds that are well controlled. With advancements in drone technology, it is now possible to deploy these machines to assist police officers in their duties. For instance, remotely controlled drones can be used as tools to provide police officers with accurate and real-time information on a given case or situation, a factor that makes their job safer and efficient, thus improving their crime documentation and solving rate (Lee & Kang, 2019). Additionally, Lee and Kang suggest that drones provide police officers with the necessary tool to respond effectively to any emergency, especially in cases where situational awareness is vital. As such, this paper advances the idea that drone technology is instrumental in policing, now and in the future.
The History and Information about Drones
It was during the First World War that the first-ever pilotless vehicles were built, and this early model was flown through the use of radio controls (Custers, 2016). 1918 saw the US Army begun the process of producing aerial torpedoes (Wolf, 2017). The model developed at the time was known as the Kettering Bug, and it was flown successfully while undertaking some tests but by the time the war was ending, it had not been developed further (Wolf, 2017).
The testing and development of these uncrewed aircraft continued even after the war was over. Custers (2016) argues that the British were able to produce several radio-controlled airplanes in1935, and they were mainly used for training purposes. Wolf (2017) adds that the phrase drone began being used during this time as it was inspired by a name given to the DH.82B Queen Bee model. Similar drones were also produced within the United States, where they were used to undertake target training and practice.
During the Vietnam War, Reconnaissance UAVs were deployed for the first time on a vast scale (Custers, 2016). Moreover, drones were also used in different new roles like acting as decoys during combat, dropping leaflets on psychological operations, and launching missiles against some fixed targets (Wolf, 2017). With drones having been used successfully in the Vietnam War, there was a continued exploration of unmanned aerial technology from other countries apart from the United States and Britain. This development led to the creation of new models that were more sophisticated and had improved endurance while maintaining the ability to sustain greater heights (Wolf, 2017). Recently, there has been developed on new drone models that can use solar energy to tackle the problem that comes with fuelling longer flights.
Today drones have numerous functions that range from undertaking search operations, especially after natural disasters have occurred to monitoring climate change, delivering goods, and filming at social events, among other uses. However, the most controversial and well-known use of these drones is in the military, where they are applied for military surveillance, reconnaissance, and executing targeted attacks. For instance, the 9/11 terrorist attacks led to the United States security agencies increase their use of drones significantly (Wolf, 2017). Today they are mainly used for surveillance purposes, especially in areas where the terrain is challenging, and troops cannot be able to reach safely (Custers, 2016). Additionally, drones are also being used as weapons, especially when dealing with terrorists where they are credited with eliminating suspected militants (Wolf, 2017). Drone technology is still under development even today, with experts continuously seeking to find ways where they can be improved further.
Current Uses Of Drones by Police Departments
Today police are using drones for many different purposes, and some of the common uses have been discussed below;
Police are now using drones to map some of the highly frequented places and locations around the country. Traditionally, police officers used helicopters for the same purposes, but this is very expensive and unsustainable over long periods. However, with the emergence of drones, police departments now use several drones for the same job at meager costs (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). The maps obtained from this process can be used for managing future crime scenes or events.
Every year, police departments across the United States are buying drones that help in chasing down suspects. In most cases, when suspects take to the roof, police officers often find it very difficult to know their exact locations, and having a drone in the sky provides police officers with an eye for critical intelligence (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). As such, under such circumstances, it guides the ground units to acquire optimal positions so that they can have a better chance of dealing with such suspects. Additionally, reducing the uncertainty about the exact location of a suspect is another effective way of minimizing the stress levels of police officers involved in such an operation (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). In some cases, Engberts and Gillissen (2016) add that some suspects have reported that they were not aware that a drone was monitoring them because, in most cases, these remotely controlled vehicles are quite small and very quiet compared to helicopters. Such uses are beneficial because they help police officers identify the exact location of their suspects and the precise weapons they are carrying.
Today drones are being used to aid crime scene investigations in several ways. For instance, these tools are being used to collect evidence that might be very difficult to reach when police officers are on the ground. Additionally, two drones can be used to survey a given crime scene from above and provide investigation officers with 3D images and maps within a matter of minutes or seconds (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). Moreover, sometimes drones are used to provide investigation officers with lighting during the night in situations where there are low light conditions. Modern drones come with more advanced features that can allow for the automatic capture of 60+ frames every second from rolling cameras, and they also have extensive data storage capabilities to store huge volumes of recorded data while above the ground (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). Such drone functionalities can be done within a short period, and it helps police officers to be more effective in their crime scene investigation.
Today police officers are using drones to carry out 3D reconstruction of different accidents, and it is useful for various reasons. First, police officers can send drones to collect evidence from the sky using different angles, which was previously impossible without using helicopters, which are very expensive to maintain. For example, in a plane crash along Daytona Beach, police officers used drones to establish that the plane had first hit the roof of another house before finally crashing at the leading accident site (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). In congested cities, police officers use drones to reconstruct accidents sites without having to interfere with the traffic on the busy roads (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). As such, drones are useful tools that police officers use to reconstruct accident sites because they provide a lot of conveniences and save a lot of time and resources.
During rush hours, police officers are employing the use of drones to manage traffic. In some situations, the police officers on the ground operating traffic may have some difficulties trying to understand or assess the main reasons for traffic being backed-up (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). However, drones can be used to fly over these areas and assess the situation, a factor that will allow police officers to establish the right solution after which they radio the authorities are operating the traffic light to either change the rate of alternation between red and green lights, thus allowing for better traffic flow management (Engberts & Gillissen, 2016). Additionally, drones are also used to monitor the speed at which vehicles are being driven and then notify the ground unites of any potential violators.
Today drones have emerged as useful tools for undertaking search and rescue missions or locating missing people and animals. For instance, they have been used to located older people and lost hikers who have wandered away from a given location or their homes. In some accidents, drones are used to determine crash victims who end up being thrown away from their cars. When fitted with thermal cameras, drones can be used at night to pick-up heat signatures and thus help police officers in their investigations as well as in search and rescue missions (Lee & Kang, 2019). As such, every year, drones are increasingly gaining popularity in search and rescue missions because they help police officers get a comprehensive view of a given scene from above
Police officers use drones for various disaster relief missions. After the occurrence of natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes, it is often challenging for ground officers to access the affected areas (Lee & Kang, 2019). Additionally, it is also challenging and risky to send crewed aircraft into these hazardous areas because it would be risking the lives of these pilots to extreme weather conditions. As such, police officers, alongside other disaster management officers, use drones to survey a specific disaster site, and identify the people and areas that need urgent help. For example, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, a lot of drones were used in Houston, and also to attend to Hurricane Irma when it hit Florida (Lee & Kang, 2019). The fact that drones can identify stranded people and animals quickly compared to ground units makes them useful tools for disaster relief programs.
Police officers are also using drones to support the fire department. Although large fire departments in big cities can afford to purchase their drones, such expenses might not be logical or feasible in smaller cities or towns (Lee & Kang, 2019). As such, police departments in these areas often collaborate with local fire departments to locate fires and aid these firefighters in ensuring that their resources are directed accordingly.
Measures Taken To Implement Drones for Police Use In The Future
Currently, there are no established national comprehensive standards regarding how law enforcement agencies should use drones. The Florida v. Riley’s case of 1989 saw the Supreme Court ruled that rights to privacy do not exist when police have to make observations in the public airspaces (Rae, 2014). However, due to increased protests, the city of Seattle reversed these gains in 2013 by withdrawing all plans to equip its police departments with drones. However, 2014 saw California senate pass bills requiring all law enforcers first to obtain warrants from the court to use drones for surveillance. Still, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed this bill, a factor that allowed police officers to use drones without having a warrant (Rae, 2014). Today there are still various measures being taken across the United States aimed at ensuring that police officers can use drones for different functions during their duties.
Issues Associated With Drones Use
Among the common problems associated with the use of drones includes the fact that they raise privacy concerns, and they also have limited flight time. Although the benefits associated with drone usage are clear for all to see, they are faced with numerous legal issues that are likely to interfere with individuals’ expectations of privacy. This factor is expected to leave police officers vulnerable to multiple civil lawsuits. Some people are expected to argue that their privacy has been violated under the Fourth Amendment (Rae, 2014). Although police use of drones is still at the infancy stage, they face many legal challenges regarding privacy concerns, and these issues need to be addressed to prevent them from being an obstacle in police work.
Another major issue for integrating drones into policing is that they tend to have minimal flight times, mainly because of the existing battery technology. On average, most drones have a battery life that can sustain close to 30 minutes in flight time, a factor that can be a hindrance to police work (Rae, 2014). As such, there is a need for drone manufacturing companies to explore new ways of combating the limited fight time, as this will make the use of drones in policing more effective.
Measures Taken To Workaround the Negative Issues of Drones
With growing interest from various police departments to employ drones in their policing, here is a severe need to undertake measures that will work around some of the negative issues associated with the use of drones in policing. According to some of the recommendations made by the American Civil Liberties Union, the current laws should be strengthened to ensure that drone technology is applied responsible and with the traditional constitutional values (Rae, 2014). Other recommendations made by the ACLU to the US congress are that the following measures should be enacted; Usage and image retention restrictions, public notices should be given in regards to drone use, a ban on drone weaponization, and finally auditing the effectiveness of these drones (Rae, 2014).
To solve the limited flight time’s challenge, most drone manufacturing companies are exploring the idea of deploying base stations to be located in different parts where they offer services (Rae, 2014). These base stations would allow drones to swap or charge their batteries while also protecting during times of extreme weather conditions. Undertaking these measures will help eliminate limited flight time challenges as drones will have a backup plan when they run out of power while on the flight.
Conclusion
From the preceding, drone technology is part of future law enforcement plans due to the numerous benefits associated with them. As discussed above, drones allow police officers to access tough terrains from above, providing vital intelligence for dealing with various cases effectively. They are also less expensive to acquire and maintain compared to helicopters, among other benefits. With more police departments adopting this technology, there is a need to ensure that more police officers are adequately trained on how to use drones as this will promote public safety and help police to avoid lawsuits occasioned by the violation of privacy. Police departments should also look to work with drone companies that are advancing their technology towards how these tools can help improve policing as this will increase the safety of police offers.

References
Custers, B., (2016). The future of drone use: opportunities and threats from ethical and legal perspectives. The Hague, The Netherlands: Asser Press.
Engberts, B., & Gillissen, E. (2016). Policing from Above: Drone Use by the Police. Information Technology and Law Series The Future of Drone Use, 93–113. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-132-6_5
Lee, C.-W., & Kang, W. (2019). A Study on the Feasibility Analysis of Drone in the Police Activities – Focused on Public Safety Field -. Korean Police Studies Review, 18(3), 115–138. DOI: 10.38084/2019.18.3.5
Rae, J. D. (2014). Public Policy, Privacy, and Drone Technology. Analyzing the Drone Debates, 98–119. DOI: 10.1057/9781137381576_5
Wolf, H. G. (2017). A quick history of drones Unmanned. Drones, 10–20. DOI: 10.4324/9781315471419-2

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