Blog entry by Bruce McPherson
The one-year pilot programme is one of the high-tech law enforcement measures SPF is rolling out to enhance its operational effectiveness and become a “smart force”, it said in a briefing on Wednesday (Apr 10) for this year’s Police Workplan Seminar.
These vehicles, called the Sky Aerial Response Command (Sky ARC), will each carry up to three drones.
Other incidents in which the drones could be used include tracking suspects across a large area, such as a forest. The drones are equipped with thermal imaging and can detect human presence.
The drones, which can fly to an altitude of a few hundred metres, will feed information and transmit images back to an integrated command and control system, said SPF.
In response to concerns about privacy, SPF said that the drones come with sirens and markings to make their presence clear to people in the area.
In addition, SPF will comply with existing government data storage and privacy policies.
Speaking on how the police intend to deal with privacy concerns, director of planning and organisation Assistant Commissioner Daniel Tan said: “It’s a matter of the trust we have with the public, and this is something we don’t take for granted.
“(This is) something that we have to emphasise to our officers and continue to have the systems and structures in place so that (there is) the trust with the public,” he added.