Use of Drone/UAV/Amount of operations/types tasked to

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.034496

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. How many times an MPS Drone/UAV (or a drone operating on behalf of the MPS) was operationally dispatched - Operation Numbers (please disregard multiple flights/aircraft for a single operation).
2. How many of which type of operation they were tasked to? (NPAS lists the categories as:
   - Suspect Search,
   - Vehicle Search,
   - Missing Person Search,
   - Injured Person/CfW,
   - Containment of Scene,
   - Public Order Incident,
   - Thermal Imagery Request,
   - Vehicle Follow,
   - Other (The numbers will be used to directly compare with NPAS/crewed aircraft).

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - How many times an MPS Drone/UAV (or a drone operating on behalf of the MPS) was operationally dispatched - Operation Numbers (please disregard multiple flights/aircraft for a single operation).

The MO7 Drone team have completed 201 tasks in the time period specified.

Q2 - How many of which type of operation they were tasked to? (NPAS lists the categories as:
- Suspect Search,
- Vehicle Search,
- Missing Person Search,
- Injured Person/CfW,
- Containment of Scene,
- Public Order Incident,
- Thermal Imagery Request,
- Vehicle Follow,
- Other (The numbers will be used to directly compare with NPAS/crewed aircraft).

In regards to use, these have been deployed for taking photographs of crime scenes, providing aerial support for pre-planned operations, surveying premises and providing live footage of operational deployments to assist command decision making and therefore support a wider policing plan.

In order to protect the tactic and staff involved during Drone deployments details of exact numbers or tasking’s should not be shared.