South Wales Police has 10 pilots trained to use the drones
It's the latest crime fighting weapon to be deployed by South Wales Police - but to see it, you better look to the sky.
The force have 10 pilots using their force drones in a bid to catch people breaking the law.
The force are currently using them in a bid to stop anti-social behaviour and in particular off-road bikes blighting the lives of residents in city parks.
The hotspots
Two hotspots are Trelai park and Plymouth Great Wood.
Residents who live nearing the wood are the worst affected, but the problem stretches much wider then Michaelston as the noise of the bikes travels right over to St Fagans.
Residents say they are bothered by both the noise created by the bikes, but also the way they are ridden.
Area Sergeant Jay Davies has worked in the area for two years.
He devised the police clampdown called Operation Red Mana, working with local residents and councillors.
They have not only received the information needed to seize bikes, but they are seeing the techniques acting as a deterrent to the riders which is meaning a reduction in the number of bikes accessing the land.
“When I first came here, I didn’t realise how big the problem is, but it is massive. The effect it has on the quality of life of people is horrific.
“There’s two distinct types of riders, the ones who go on the road, without helmets and are a danger to themselves and everyone else and the second kind who go private land and ride about.
“They don’t realise that the sound that is created gets carried. They don’t realise the effect that has on people”.
How will drones help policing?
PC Darren Burgess is one of the pilots and believes that drones are the future of policing.
“These are definitely the future,” he said.
“For example, the helicopter costs thousands and it can’t always be deployed. The drone can’t always but as these evolve, they will be out more and more.”
What will they be used for?
While the drones can be used in searches for missing people, for public order incident and in large crowds.
The drones have a battery life of up to seven hours and the officers are fully trained in where and when they can fly them. The force has its own guidelines which staff adhere too.
The drones can travel at up to 40mph and most importantly for the officers, the quality of the images they capture are so good, that the drone can capture high quality images from a distance.
The drone can be used in most weathers and at night.
When police find off-road bikers using their bikes they issue them with a warning, if they are caught a second time the bike is seized. The warning covers both the bike and the rider, so if either are found again, the result is the same.
They have already recorded successes, but more important to the officers is hearing people say that they are hearing less bikes.
Sgt Davies said: “Now it’s now great to hear people saying that it is having a positive impact.”
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/drone-police-flying-over-cardiff-11984497
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