Nottinghamshire Police’s high-tech drone team will be able to deploy much quicker thanks to a specially adapted car. The drone unit’s work includes searching for missing people, helping with arrests and crowd control, monitoring fires, crime scene investigations and intelligence gathering – including monitoring unusual heat emissions from premises which can indicate their use as cannabis farms.
Until now, officers from the drone team would have to assemble the drone when they arrive on site. But the new vehicle enables the drone to be transported Jilly assembled, enabling rapid deployment of the unmanned aerial vehicle on arrival at an operation. The new car also has a cutting-edge electrical system built in, providing a ready supply of fully charged spare batteries that avoids the need to return to base to recharge.
The vehicle also comes equipped with a StarLink satellite connection, giving pilots
access to a high-speed, dependable Wi-Fi signal to stream live pictures anywhere in the county.
“We’ve wanted a specialist vehicle of this nature some time and I am delighted to now have it at our disposal”, Sgt Vince Saunders, Nottinghamshire Police’s chief drone plot, said. “Fundamentally it will enable us to get drones in the air more quickly, fly them for longer, and provide a live stream of our activities anywhere in the county.
“These are all big steps forward for us and could be life saving in a challenging search for a missing person where our drones already excel.”
Police say that it used to take up to six minutes for pilots to assemble drones and get them airborne; and that assembling the units outside in adverse weather could expose sensitive parts to water. With the new vehicle, aircraft can be stowed and launched fully assembled, reducing the challenges of launching in poor weather conditions.
Nottinghamshire Police drones unit is a shared resource with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. It was set up in 2020 and has 15 volunteer pilots who fit their flying shifts around their other policing duties.
The unit has six high-tech drones of various sizes and capabilities. Pilots carry out pre-planned operations and are also available to respond to emergencies.
