Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London’s Metropolitan (Met) Police Service, has announced the launch of an innovative trial involving drones being dispatched to support officers responding to emergencies in London. The new technology is aimed at the Met Police responding more quickly to emergency calls, with drones feeding intelligence to officers arriving at incidents in record time. The drones will capture high-quality imagery within minutes, aimed at providing real-time situational awareness of incidents for more rapid, informed and effective police response.
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the force’s national lead for drones, said that their Drone as First Responder (DFR) programme will see police resources arriving at crime scenes across London quicker. They will assist in tracing suspects, locating missing people and delivering intelligence to Met officers as they respond to Londoners when they need them most. As part of a response to a 999 emergency call, a drone will be launched remotely from the Met Police’s control room and piloted by specially trained operators.
