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Drones are 'without doubt the future of policing'

Richard SteadNorth West
News imageGreater Manchester Police Drone footage of a man riding a stolen bike in north Manchester. The image shows a man riding on grass, close to a road and parked cars.Greater Manchester Police
Police have been using drones to track down bike thieves across the north of Manchester

Drones have been described a "the future of policing" after they were used to help seize 130 illegal off-road bikes across north Manchester in the less than a year.

The fleet of drones is being used by Greater Manchester Police instead of the force helicopter because drones are cheaper to use and more discreet.

Insp Dan Pickavance, from GMP's North Manchester Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "All police forces can use drones - particularly in urban areas - and it means we can safely take illegal off-road bikes off the streets.

"Using drones is without doubt the future of neighbourhood policing and this is an essential game-changer for us going forward."

News imagePhotograph of Inspector Dan Pickavance. He is pictured inside a police car, with a screen showing images from a drone in the sky.
Dan Pickavance, a neighbourhood police inspector for North Manchester, was able to monitor the images from the drone

The BBC followed a police operation in which a drone was used to recover a stolen bike that had been spotted in Boggart Hole Clough.

The drone was used to follow the bike to an address in nearby Charlestown, where police officers on the ground searched the property and arrested three suspects.

The operation was directed by a senior police officer in the back of a van, using live images from the drone which were relayed onto a screen.

Drones are a "game-changer", police say

Some of the drones can operate safely in storms, at speeds of up to 40mph (64km/h), and are equipped with thermal imaging technology so they can be used in the dark.

The drones come in various sizes, costing between £6,000 and £30,000.

News imageGreater Manchester Police Photograph of a house in north Manchester taken by a drone in the sky. The image shows police cars and officers searching the property.Greater Manchester Police
A drone followed a stolen bike to a house in north Manchester, which was then searched by officers on the ground

PC Tony Ashurst, a drone pilot for GMP, said: "In the last few years, the technology with the drones and the cameras has been advancing so much, so you've got to keep investing.

"I've been on the frontline for 20 years now, including on the firearms unit, and this is just a different way of policing."

News imagePhotograph of PC Tony Ashurst, who is a drone pilot for Greater Manchester Police. The image shows him in his uniform, with the drone in front of him.
PC Tony Ashurst is a drone pilot for Greater Manchester Police.

GMP is now expanding its fleet of waterproof drones, equipped with better cameras, and is also training more pilots on how to use them.

Drone technology is regularly used to help policing at football matches, music festivals, when a vulnerable person is missing from home, to support the execution of arrest warrants, or following a serious motorway crash.

News imagePhotograph of PC Jonathan Markham-Barwell from Greater Manchester Police. He is pictured in a car park, with a police car behind him.
PC Jonathan Markham-Barwell is a drone pilot for Greater Manchester Police.

Drone pilot PC Jonathan Markham-Barwell said: "I've been on this unit for less than three months and I'm astounded by the technology of these drones because they're small and they can't be seen in the sky.

"You cant get any better rewards than the jobs we're going to and I'm going home with a smile on my face because we're getting great results."

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