France permits the use of police drones
French police are now able to use drones for aerial surveillance purposes, following the publishing of two decrees in late April
The decrees will enable police to use aircraft-mounted camera footage – in practice, primarily taken from drones – to support a range of operations, including the management of public demonstrations, and the monitoring of national borders.
The changes were published as two decrees in the French government’s Official Journal on 20 April.
Following the change, drones were used to survey protests for the first time on 1 May. The protests were in response to the government’s planned pension reforms.
The ruling permits police to access camera data from aircraft
The first decree modifies Chapter II, Title IV, Book II of the regulatory part of the Internal Security Code. The change permits police, gendarmerie, military operating on national soil, customs officers and other relevant officials to process data taken from aircraft-installed cameras such as drones for specific law enforcement purposes.
The decree states that the specific law enforcement purposes covered by the changes include:
- ‘The prevention of attacks on the safety of persons and property in places particularly exposed to risks of aggression, theft or trafficking of arms, human beings or narcotics’
- The ‘protection of public buildings, installations and their surroundings, when particularly exposed to the risk of intrusion or degradation’
- The ‘safety of gatherings of people on the public highway, or in places open to the public, as well as the support of ground personnel, with a view to enabling them to maintain or restore public order, when these gatherings are likely to cause serious disturbances to public order’
- The ‘prevention of acts of terrorism’
- The ‘regulation of transport flows, for the sole purpose of maintaining public order and safety, and
- ‘Relief to persons’.
Other things outlined in the decree include the specific methods of conserving recordings taken from aircraft cameras, the conditions of access to recordings, as well as the rights of the relevant persons.
Limits on the number of cameras
A separate decree published the same day limits the number of aircraft-mounted cameras that can be used at one time in various local areas. Départments and communities are split into three groups, granting them the ability to operate 40, 70 or 100 aerial cameras at one time.
Areas permitted to operate higher numbers of aircraft-mounted cameras include Pas-de-Calais and Alpes-Maritimes – départments which are currently prone to significant levels illegal migration between France, and the UK and Italy. Other areas permitted to use high levels of cameras include multiple départments in and around Paris.
India’s Uttar Pradesh State Police Department also recently placed an order for 84 drones from manufacturer Sagar Defence Engineering.