(Photo by Paul Pedro) (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Windsor

Windsor police say drone will improve efficiency

Windsor police will be literally raising their technology to a higher level.

It's merely in the developmental stages, but police confirmed that they are creating a drone unit, which they said will help them with certain investigations and situations once it is in place.

Sergeant Steve Betteridge, the Windsor Police Service's public information officer, said the technology is certainly not new in law enforcement since several police organizations across the province already have drone units in place, but he told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that a drone unit will provide a perspective that could not be achieved by just having officers on the ground. For instance, Betteridge said a drone would be helpful in accident reconstruction.

"There are tremendous programs that can assist with the layout, and a reconstruction of a scene could take an incredible amount of manpower hours," said Betteridge. "This can be much more efficient."

Crowd management is another scenario police could utilize a drone for, said Betteridge, with this week's Ford Fireworks show being a good example. Based on calls for service, a drone could provide an "eye in the sky" to aid in finding lost children. Betteridge said a drone would also be useful in locating residents with health issues who may have wandered off, as well as young children who have become separated from a parent or caregiver.

Police also pointed out that with more businesses installing surveillance equipment and with just about everyone using a cellphone equipped with a camera, cameras are already a part of the landscape. Surveillance video is frequently studied by investigators to identify suspects in crimes, and a drone would provide officers with additional assistance from places where deployment is difficult or unsafe.

With any aerial technology, there are concerns over privacy and George Orwell-style intrusion. Betteridge said the service is putting those concerns to rest by indicating that the drone will only be used for specific calls and in places where people should not expect privacy.

"Our community can rest assured any tools or techniques that the Windsor Police Service uses or conducts in an investigation is authorized by law," said Betteridge.

A handful of officers will eventually be trained on operating the drone, along with the legal responsibilities concerning its use. The completed plan could be in place by this fall.

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