The use of drone technology within Northumbria Police continues to make strides with even more pilots ready to be trained, qualified and follow the lead of one trailblazing Federation member.
Six years ago, the Force was still one of a number throughout the country without any drone capability, with the emergence of the devices across policing still nascent enough just to keep tabs on.
But at the same time, a significant minority of organisations had begun to set themselves up for the future – including Norfolk Constabulary, where PC Tom Munday had plied his trade until making the move up to Northumbria in the latter half of 2020.
It was this arrival that changed things for the Force, as Tom, originally from a response background, brought his recent drone expertise with him and kickstarted the introduction of some exciting new operations.
Drone technology
“At Norfolk, I was lucky enough to have my sergeant at the time suggest the use of drones down there – he’s now one of the national leads for drone policing, so that tells you all you need to know about how influential he has been,” Tom said.
“That influence piqued my interest, and it all just went from there as I became a pilot alongside my primary frontline duties. Since then, my knowledge and passion has only continued to grow.
“Now, I’m Northumbria Police’s Chief Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Pilot and our only full-time pilot, which I’m very proud of. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, and for other officers to be able to come on this journey with me is even better.”
As Chief UAV Pilot, Tom oversees the management of equipment, procurement, operations planning, analysis and incident reports connected to all drone usage in the Force.
He also leads the training of new pilots, who come from other areas and departments to add to the Force’s resilience on a part-time basis.
Gradually, these personnel have increased in number, with a fresh influx of officers set to graduate from the new National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Drone Pilot Pathway this year.
“This is a huge boost for us. Like our 14 existing legacy pilots, these 17 new pilots have gained General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC) qualifications, but they will go a step further by receiving this new NPCC training in-force,” Tom continued.
“The training is a standardising effort to ensure every officer across the board is equally knowledgeable and capable with drone tech, even if they do not belong to a force with a dedicated unit.
Missing persons
“Although we are not strictly a dedicated unit, to have over 30 fully fledged specialists at our disposal will be brilliant.
“Not only will help us with our day-to-day activity – using the drones to track missing persons and vehicle decamps is our bread and butter – but also with our wider targets moving forward.”
Expanding on what he would like to see for the Force’s future with drones, Tom pointed towards an ambition held at national level to go beyond the devices’ current line of sight, which tops out at 500 metres.
The 46-year-old argued that potential could be further unlocked by moving away from UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations and adopting a national police operations manual, giving units and pilots ‘more freedom over how we fly’.
“Ultimately, that is what we’re looking for, because there is enough know-how and enough of a body of work in policing to suggest we can regulate ourselves.
First responder
“If you take our force for example, we have come on absolute leap and bounds in a few short years. Our 17 new additions will be able to deploy within our existing CAA permissions during daylight hours and help prove we are ready to take control.”
“We are also hoping to become part of the Drone as First Responder (DFR) programme, which would be a huge asset to the Force and transform its live incident response.
“Meanwhile, I and the other more senior pilots will continue looking for ways to enhance our operations and make the lives of our Force colleagues on the ground easier. Public order policing is something we are always looking to offer effective support to, as well as search and rescue jobs like the ones I mentioned earlier.
“For me, there’s a lot of pride in being part of this project from the start, and I just can’t wait to see what strength we can go to next.
“A decade ago, I’d never have thought this is where my career would go, but I’m so thankful this technology found its way into our profession.”
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