Metropolitan Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

(asked on 13th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether drones are permitted to fly within London domestic airspace for use by the Metropolitan Police.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 16th July 2020

Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams.

The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times.

There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

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