LOCAL police are using drones in operations to scour crime scenes and catch offenders on the run.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
On Thursday afternoon, the Oxley police drone was sent up over the Peel River in Tamworth to scour the water and riverbank for a wanted man who officers from the bike unit chased from Peel Street.
More than a dozen police were called in for backup to search the area, near the regional playground, before a drone was deployed to search thick bushes on the river’s edge.
Oxley Acting Superintendent Jeff Budd told The Leader the command had had the licensed drone for almost 12 months.
We have two licensed operators and we use it for numerous incidents and operations, whether it’s imaging over motor vehicle accident scenes, scanning and mapping crime scenes or searching properties.
- Oxley Acting Superintendent Jeff Budd
“We have two licensed operators and we use it for numerous incidents and operations, whether it’s imaging over motor vehicle accident scenes, scanning and mapping crime scenes or searching properties,” he said.
“We use it for a range of things where that birds-eye-view gives us additional capabilities for our investigations.
“It’s innovative in how we can use it to map out scenes, where we couldn’t previously, and the time efficiencies and police efficiencies is very valuable.”
Thursday’s riverbank search, where the male offender fled into thick bushes and into the water, was the latest in a series of recent deployments for the drone.
“We just recently had information about a possible self-harm incident on a property and we used that drone to fly into the property, which had a locked padlock, and police were able to scan the house and property,” Acting Superintendent Budd said.
“This ensured the safety of the police and the persons involved. So it’s an added resource for investigations.”