Kurnool cops to use drones extensively for effective policing

 Kurnool: The Kurnool district police as part of modernising law en-forcement practices have introduced drone technology.

The technology will strengthen the capabilities in surveil-lance, prevention of crime and ensure public safety. Be-sides improving the efficiency of the police personnel it will also help in timely action and reaching in time to places that are difficult for the police personnel to access on foot or by vehicle.

District SP G Bindu Madhav has even started conducting training sessions to police personnel. There are around 40 police stations functioning in the district and as many as 2,000 police personnel are discharging duties in different cadres. At least four police personnel from every police station in the district are being imparted training on oper-ating drones.

Police sources have stated that almost three sessions have been completed. The training sessions were held at the district police training centre. More than 150 police per-sonnel have so far been imparted training by the technical experts from the certified drone operators in the first phase.

The training has been imparted on drone operation, sur-veillance techniques and how drones can assist in combat-ing cybercrimes. The SP has personally supervised the training and spoke about the importance of integrating technology into policing practices. The key focus of the drone programme is to utilise the technology for monitor-ing large gatherings, processions, festivals, and other public events.

However, the drones will also play a more crucial role in reaching areas where traditional methods may fail. The drones will be more useful in reaching the remote areas or hard-to-access areas such as open drinking spots, gam-bling dens, dark corners, wastelands and dense bushes that are typically difficult for police to patrol effectively. Drones will allow the police personnel to cover these loca-tions more efficiently, ensuring law enforcement reaches even the deepest corners of the district, said the SP.

The police personnel have learned how to operate drone cameras to capture real-time footage, which will be inval-uable for immediate response and evidence collection while at training programme.

The introduction of drones is a part of a larger strategy to tackle modern-day challenges. These drones will not only assist in day-to-day law en-forcement but also play a vital role in combating cyber-crime, which is a growing concern. “We have also devel-oped a specialised action plan to curb cybercrimes using drone technology,” the SP said.

Drones will offer a bird’s-eye view, helping authorities monitor large crowds, identify potential threats and re-spond more swiftly to emerging situations. As drones be-come an integral part of policing, the district is poised to enhance its ability to protect citizens and uphold the rule of law in a more modern, efficient and proactive manner. Drones helped in catching people consuming alcohol at open places.