Scottish police chiefs under fire for purchase of non-rainproof drones

A number of Scottish chiefs have come under fire for the decision to purchase a number of non-rainproof drones, worth nearly £ 60,000 (about £ 70,000). It concerned three devices from DJI's Matrice 210 series. It was already known at the time of purchase that they cannot be used when it rains heavily.

Scottish police chiefs under fire for purchase of non-rainproof drones

“Questionable purchase”

The riot over the purchase of the drones was recently made public by The Scottish Sun. Harry Fone, spokesman for an organization that critically scrutinizes taxpayer spending, is furious about the purchase.

“Scottish taxpayers keep paying for the cost of questionable purchases. We really need to take measures to prevent these kinds of purchases in the future,” Fone said.

The chiefs of the Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Inverness regions decided to purchase three DJI M210 aircraft, even though they were known to be non-rainproof. In recent years, there have been several examples of Matrice series drones crashing after a flight in rainy conditions. The British aviation authority even issued an official warning for this.

The aircraft were purchased in 2019, with the aim of assisting in the search for missing persons and making aerial photographs of crime scenes. After the purchase, measures were taken in the field of waterproofing, but nevertheless, the corps leadership decided to use the drones only in dry weather, “in order to guarantee the safety of the public.”

Scottish Police Chiefs Under Fire For Purchase Of Non-Rainproof Drones 1

Stay in touch!

If you'd like to stay up to date with all the latest drone , scoops, rumors, and reviews follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or…

Subscribe to our Daily Drone News email.*


 

Submit tips If you have information or tips that you would like to share with us, feel free to submit them hereSupport DroneXL.co: You can support DroneXL.co by using these links when you make your next drone purchase: Adorama, Amazon, B&H, BestBuy, eBay, DJI, Parrot, and Yuneec. We make a small commission when you do so at no additional expense to you. Thank you for helping DroneXL grow! FTC: DroneXL.co uses affiliate links that generate income.

* We do not sell, share, rent out or spam your email, ever. Our email goes out on weekdays around 5:30 p.m.

This article first appeared on dronewatch.nul and is written by Wiebe de Jager who is also a DroneXL contributor.

Follow DroneXL.co on your Google News feed.

Get your Part 107 Certificate

Pass the test and take to the skies with the Pilot Institute. We have helped thousands of people become airplane and commercial drone pilots. Our courses are designed by industry experts to help you pass FAA tests and achieve your dreams.

pilot institute dronexl

Copyright © DroneXL.co 2023. All rights reserved. The content, images, and intellectual property on this website are protected by copyright law. Reproduction or distribution of any material without prior written permission from DroneXL.co is strictly prohibited. For permissions and inquiries, please contact us here.

FTC: DroneXL.co is an Amazon Associate and uses affiliate links that can generate income from qualifying purchases. We do not sell, share, rent out, or spam your email.

Wiebe de Jager
Wiebe de Jager

Wiebe de Jager is the founder of Dronewatch and author of several bestselling books about drone photography. Wiebe is a certified drone pilot and has a full ROC license.

Articles: 312

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap
%d bloggers like this: