Drone technology has been used by Lincolnshire police 277 times during the first year of operation.
Deploying the force’s two drones has also saved the force thousands of pounds as it costs £2,800 an hour for the helicopter to be utilised.
The first drone went live in September 2017 and a second was added to the force in November.
Each drone and its kit costs around £11,000 and they have been used in a range of activities, from finding an injured person to catching a burglary suspect using thermal imaging.
“The first ever tasking the unit undertook in 2017, which confirmed a viable heat source in a remote farm house, recently resulted in the conviction of the owner for growing £50,000 worth of drugs,” says a report into its use.
But it is in the saving of life that the drones have proved their worth.
A car rolled into a ditch on a rural stretch of the A16 and the driver wandered away and was nowhere to be seen.
“A drone was requested and on taking flight saw a faint, but distinct heat source in a ditch at the side of the road nearly 500m from the crash,” the report says.
The injured and unconscious driver was in a trench half-filled with water and would have been unlikely to survive the night outside.
The drones also save police valuable time and the ability to search expanses of open fields meant a missing elderly woman with dementia was found alive.
If the usual procedures were carried out, another 24 hours would have been necessary and she may not have survived.
The drones are operated by volunteer officers who carry the equipment in their car so it is available around the clock.
“This approach is unique in the UK but crucially provides us the best possible coverage and shortest possible response times,” the report says.
“The kit has proved invaluable as a debriefing tool during public order and firearms training.
“We have worked with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue to provide an aerial overview of major fire events.”
The same report shows that from September 24 to 30, officers made 229 arrests, charged 65 people and dealt with 1,957 999 calls.
