Force chief floats idea of drones to replace helicopters

Police should consider using unmanned drones as part of air support plans in the future, a chief constable said.

Alex Marshall, from Hampshire Police, was speaking as the new National Police Air Service (NPAS) was launched. Ministers say the service, which is being implemented in stages, will cost millions less than the localised system it replaces.

The senior officer, who is leading the scheme for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said drones could stay in the air longer and would be cheaper than running manned aircraft.

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“We don’t use them in mainstream policing at the moment but they may well offer something for the future,” Chief Con Marshall said. “They can stay up longer, they’re cheaper, they can do things that you can’t do having people in the air.

“But the Civil Aviation Authority for example, doesn’t allow the use of drones out of line of sight, and there are other restrictions on using them. Plus the debate that still needs to be had, it might be cost effective, you might be able to keep it up longer, but is it acceptable to the citizens of the UK to have them in the air?

“Within line of sight they’ve been used by police and fire for just monitoring a building or whatever it might be. We should be looking at different ways of providing air support in the future that don’t involve putting humans up in the air.”

NPAS, which is co-ordinated by West Yorkshire Police, will have 26 helicopters running from 23 bases across England and Wales, resulting in a projected fall in costs from around £63m to £48m.

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Forces are aiming to maintain the target of an average response time of 20 minutes, despite concerns from the Police Federation that cover cannot be maintained at the same level.

South Yorkshire fought to retain its helicopter service under the plans. Its Sheffield-based aircraft will be available on a ten-hour shift seven days a week, while the county will also have access to the national service from bases in West Yorkshire, Humberside and Derbyshire .

Coun Brian Greenslade, from the Association of Police Authorities, said: “Helicopters and other means of air support are essential tools in the fight against crime, but they are costly and in some areas used infrequently. This programme should ensure that forces retain the right capability to call on air support to protect the public whilst sharing its considerable costs.”