Machete teenagers arrested in the UK with help of a drone

With the help of a drone, two teenage machete suspects were arrested in Dudley in the UK last month. Local police have praised the assistance of police drone technology, as it has helped to arrest almost 100 suspects, since being put to use last October.

Machete teenagers arrested in the UK with help of a drone

Police drones have helped to gather intelligence on illegal street racers, cannabis factories, as well as to locate a host of missing persons.

Last month in Dudley a drone pilot helped with the arrest of two machete teenagers. One of the suspects, a 16-year-old male was arrested by the police as they arrived at Beech Green on June 13.

A second suspect took off but was later apprehended with the help of a drone pilot as the 19-year-old was hiding on a school rooftop. The drone guided local law enforcement to the exact hiding spot.

According to Stour Bridge News, the 16-year-old was charged with possession of a knife in public and is due to appear at Dudley youth Court on July 15.

Since the drones have been put into service as a 24/7 resource last October, the unmanned aircraft have now completed around 300 flying hours to support local police operations in the West Midlands.

“They have proved invaluable. They have helped in the search for more than 250 missing people and also assisted in the arrest of more than 90 crime suspects,” said Sergeant Keith Bennett, lead officer for drones at West Midlands Police. “They can cover ground so much more quickly than officers on foot. It’s no exaggeration to say they may well have saved lives of missing people, and have also saved lots of police time locating suspects. Much like a helicopter, drones are equipped with high resolution, thermal cameras but are a lower cost option with a smaller carbon footprint. We have also used imagery from drones to create aerial reconstructions of serious crime scenes, which are used in court as part of prosecutions. The images give juries a clear picture of the crime scene and help them understand the prosecution case.”

Waheed Saleem, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, said:

“Our drones, paid for using money previously seized from criminals, are now helping bring others to justice. They are an excellent addition to police kit in the fight against crime and can be used when it isn’t practical to have a helicopter near a scene. Drones are being used to keep the public safe and catch criminals using proceeds from ill-gotten gains of others.”

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