January 5, 2016 6.01 pm This story is over 98 months old

Lincolnshire Police consider future use of drones following trial

Could drones catch criminals?: Remote-controlled drones could be used to help police catch criminals and find missing persons.

Drone image: Richard Unten

Remote-controlled drones could be used to help police catch criminals, find missing persons and assist with high-risk operations in Lincolnshire.

Following a trial of the devices by police forces in Surrey and Sussex, more than a quarter of forces in England and Wales are reported to be considering the benefits.

Lincolnshire Police outlined their position, stating they would not ‘rule out’ the use of drones.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Whilst Lincolnshire Police have yet to embrace this type of technology, we are always looking to enhance our effectiveness in the various operations and investigations we carry out.

“With this in mind the use of drones or other forms of technology by the force cannot be ruled out in the future.”

The drones could be used to monitor events such as protests, conduct area searches and assist burglary investigations.

Steve Barry, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on drones, told The Times the devices could be “effective” at searching for suspects.

“You could send up a drone and use a videolink before making a decision on how to proceed.”

The increasingly affordable aircraft was originally designed for military use, but has become a popular purchase among civilians and amateurs.

Certain risks have been signalled by police forces in the past when unauthorised flights were reported.

One man was cautioned for illegally flying a drone over Lincoln in December 2015.