Hertfordshire police ramp up drone capability to tackle organised crime
Hertfordshire Constabulary has expanded its drone capabilities to target organised crime.
The force has added a new team to its Operational Support Group (OSG), which tackles organised crime including drugs, robbery, burglary and assaults.
Officers specialise in executing warrants, public order and taser deployment across the county, helping local officers with operations and investigations.
The 10 new specially trained drone pilots will collaborate with five in the force’s Rural Operational Support Team (ROST), flying four drones.
The drones will be used for high-risk missing person searches, warrant executions, scene investigations, major incidents and search and rescue operations.
Insp Paul Stanbridge, who leads OSG, said: “Drone technology has improved so much in recent years, it’s only right that we have increased capacity in using this crucial equipment across Herts police.
“Whether we’re looking for a missing person or pursuing an offender, drones are a vital tool in modern policing.
“The deployment of drones also supports the constabulary’s commitment to tackling serious and organised crime, by assisting with the identification of cannabis factories in Hertfordshire.
“Our increased drone capability is a demonstrable way of ensuring we can offer an agile and adaptable service to meet the needs of the constabulary and the residents we serve.”
Sgt Alex Winning, from ROST, said: “We, as a unit, have operated drones for a number of years and it’s great that the constabulary is now boosting the number of assets and pilots.
“Since the start of the year, we’ve accumulated thousands of minutes of flight time and have deployed them over 100 times across the county, both to support local operations and as part of our efforts to tackle rural crime.
“We look forward to working with the OSG team more closely to provide better drone coverage across the county to catch criminals, safeguard the vulnerable and capture important evidence.”
