In the not too distant future, a drone will arrive at a serious incident in Barcelona before a public security patrol. An aircraft that will broadcast images of what is happening in real time in the room, or any device of the police who have to act, who will have more and better information when making decisions.
It’s not fiction. It is a reality of police management that the Mossos d’Esquadra aspire to, who yesterday presented their fleet of drones, a key part of the Air Police. The minister of the interior, Joan Ignasi Elena, the director of the police, Pere Ferrer, the chief commissioner Eduard Sallent and the commands of the general police station of intervention, among others, witnessed at the athletics track of the Public Security Institute of Mollet, the police school, the launch of the new fixed-wing drone. An aircraft in the shape of a small plane, with the possibility of flying with three propellers like a helicopter, and which has a flight autonomy of two hours and the option of going away up to 32 kilometers without interrupting the emission of ‘images. With the possibility of flying over the target at a higher altitude than the rest, 400 meters, with almost no noise, it becomes discreet and privileged eyes of any police operation.
A drone that today is only available to the German federal police, which makes the Mossos, in Sallent’s words, the technological “vanguard”. The aircraft is also able to rise up to 100 meters of altitude, connected to a cable that feeds it energetically, which makes it possible to have it flying in one place indefinitely, while a crisis is being managed, and broadcasting live images.
Today, its flight in urban areas is not possible and its acquisition is mainly intended to fly over the coast and participate in the safety device of the America’s Cup. Although it has another element that makes it unique in the drone generation, built-in artificial intelligence that allows it to design the best flight plan while, for example, tracking a specific target. From a vehicle in a pursuit to a specific individual in an incident.
Drones have been the protagonists of a handful of drills to put into practice this sending of images in real time. From a car chase to a performance in a nightclub assault with hostages. “Comprehensive police by land, sea and air”, highlighted Councilor Elena.
