Case Studies

Drone accreditation

by Mark Rowe

Dorset, Devon and Cornwall police forces have gained third party certification for the surveillance cameras on their drones.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) are often fitted with surveillance cameras. If a public authority such as a police force that falls under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 is using them, they must comply with the surveillance camera code of practice.

Dorset, Devon and Cornwall police started using drones about two years ago and they are the first forces to have their drone use certified by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner through his third party certification scheme.

After the training of two pilots an official six-month operational trial was commissioned to find out how drones could be used within the police for both planned and spontaneous incidents. They were able to deploy a drone where a helicopter was too expensive.

Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner said: “I’ve seen first-hand how deploying drones at a road crash can reduce the impact on the public, especially in rural Dorset on the A35. Drones can capture 3D imagery and information from the scene in minutes rather than hours, and roads can be reopened much quicker. They are also invaluable in helping with searches for missing people. I am convinced policing can take huge steps forward with this approach. Deploying a drone costs a fraction of the cost of a helicopter and they can also be used when a helicopter is unavailable.

Dorset, Devon and Cornwall police forces followed the 12 guiding principles in the camera code, for example, ensuring that they made every effort to:

involve the public and wider community
inform them that they were considering using the drones; and
inform them about how they would use the drones.

Ricky Fidler of Dorset Police said: “Applying for certification seemed an obvious next step for drones as this was another way to ensure that the processes we had in place were suitable and transparent. We found the whole process remarkably simple: most of the documentation that was required by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner we had already completed – a privacy impact assessment and so on. We are familiar with these documents within the police service as we use them in other areas of business.

There are two steps to certification. The first step, desktop certification, is aimed at organisations that are working hard to achieve full compliance with the code but are aware that they may need more time to become fully compliant. The second step, full certification, is for organisations that are close to or fully compliant with the code. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall have achieved step one.

Fidler added: “We would absolutely recommend other forces and organisations to apply for certification. It’s a real confidence boost to have someone responsible for the public’s interest check that our systems and processes are legitimate and human rights compliant. We will definitely apply for full certification within the 12 month period.”

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