You could soon be seeing more drones flying over London as the Metropolitan Police brings them in as first responders.
The programme, called Drone as First Responder, is being rolled out to help officers understand what is happening at the scene before they even arrive – and catch criminals quicker.
Within two minutes of a 999 call, the drones will be at the scene of emergencies and can immediately feed intelligence directly to police.
They will be launched and controlled remotely from surveillance rooms, meaning officers can rely less on helicopters.
Islington will be the first borough to see them in action, and by the end of the year, they should also be covering central London.
(Picture: MET police)
‘There is a real risk of mission creep’
But in a time where more and more facial recognition cameras are being deployed across the city, is this another way for Londoners to be watched?
Big Brother Watch certainly think so.
Jake Hurfurt, Head of Research and Investigations at Big Brother Watch, said: ‘There may be a role for drones in providing quicker information than helicopters in unfolding emergencies, for example.
‘However, it’s concerning that this potentially very intrusive technology is being rolled out in the capital without any policy limiting how, when or why it might be used.
How will the Metropolitan Police's drones work?
Drones are housed in special boxes on the roofs of selected police buildings. The drones sit charging and waiting for a call to launch.
The Met’s control room will make the decision to deploy a drone and it will be remotely launched to the incident.
Once overhead a scene, the drone’s imagery will be transmitted in real-time to the specific control room or mobile user, supporting the police response and recording footage for evidence.
At the end of the deployment, the drone will return to its landing area and the weather-proof box will close so it can be charged and prepared for its next mission.
The drone’s video feed will help the control room to tailor the emergency response and send the right resources.
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‘Without robust safeguards, there is a real risk of mission creep and drones becoming flying CCTV cameras or watching people lawfully protesting.’
And it is certainly true surveillance is ramping up in the city. The use of facial recognition cameras is being doubled to scan faces and match them to a criminal database.
There is no indication facial recognition technology will be attached to the drones,
‘I don’t know why they weren’t rolled out sooner’
But the rolling out of drones could be a game-changer for tackling crime in London.
Especially if, like other drones, they are deployed with thermal imaging.
Security expert Will Geddes told Metro: ‘I think it’s a great thing. I’m surprised they are only just being rolled out now.
‘A drone with thermal imaging could be vital in serious incidents, such as people being taken hostage. They could provide the layouts of rooms, reveal where victims and suspects are.
‘It’s a really positive thing.’
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the national lead for drones, said: ‘Our Drone as First Responder programme will see police resources arriving at crime scenes across London quicker.
‘They will assist in tracing trace suspects, locate locating missing people and delivering intelligence to our officers as they respond to Londoners when they need us most.
‘We are building a Met that is more precise and efficient than ever before, and this new technology gives us a vital new tool to tackle crime in the capital.’
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