Northumbria Police to launch drone program
The UK’s Northumbria Police has announced that it will begin operations using a fleet of eight drones from next month
The police force has so far trained three officers to operate the drones, with a further 16 expected to be ready by the end of November, when the aircraft are expected to enter force-wide use.
The drones are to be used for a range of operations, including aerial surveillance of roadways and the management of large events.
Northumbria Police already has experience of using drones, having previously used them to catch illegal off-road motorcyclists in a joint operation with the British Transport Police in April 2023.
Across the Atlantic, New Jersey’s Hackensack Police Department recently announced plans to launch their own drone program.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.