Police drones transform the way Lincolnshire Police operates

Police drones are transforming how the Lincolnshire Police Department operates because they offer a more efficient and cost-effective way to do jobs that previously needed a helicopter.

Lincolnshire in the has a team of 15 drone pilots who have helped save lives and catch wanted criminals in the rural area.

YouTube video

Drones have been used by the police since 2017, and head pilot Kev Taylor told the BBC Radio that the unmanned aircraft continue to progress.

“Helicopters have been doing it for years, and we’ve always had that ability for a helicopter to have a look at a property and say there’s something very unusual going on there,” Mr Taylor said. “But they are an expensive resource and if we can do it cheaper and more efficiently then that’s what we should do.”

Police drones have been used 400 times

400 times in the previous year, the police force had employed drones to assist in the search for missing individuals lost in the Lincolnshire countryside and the pursuit of suspects eluding capture.

In one instance, a drone pilot assisted in locating a 75-year-old dementia patient who had become disoriented in a field.

The drone pilot followed the lady using thermal imaging as she stumbled across the field, collapsed, got back up, and moved into another area. Officers on the ground were directed by the pilot to locate the lady, who was eventually saved.

In another example, a trailed a 38-year-old guy escaping from police and even followed him as he swam across a river before the pilot directed authorities in to capture him.

assisted in the detection of illicit water extraction during this summer’s heatwaves, and they have also been utilized to investigate a growing number of arson assaults by taking overhead photos of flames and evaluating damage.

Police Drones Transform The Way Lincolnshire Police Operates 1

Cover photo shows Lincolnshire Police chief drone pilot Kev Taylor. Photo credit Sarah-May Buccieri.


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Haye Kesteloo
Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is a leading drone industry expert and Editor in Chief of DroneXL.co and EVXL.co, where he covers drone technology, industry developments, and electric mobility trends. With over nine years of specialized coverage in unmanned aerial systems, his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and cited by The Brookings Institute, Foreign Policy, Politico and others.

Before founding DroneXL.co, Kesteloo built his expertise at DroneDJ. He currently co-hosts the PiXL Drone Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, sharing industry insights with a global audience. His reporting has influenced policy discussions and been referenced in federal documents, establishing him as an authoritative voice in drone technology and regulation. He can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

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