Police deploy drones to combat sexual assaults on Beach

Cases of sexual assault have risen drastically all over the world. Recently, In response to a troubling increase in sexual assaults along Brighton's beachfront, Sussex Police have initiated nightly drone patrols to enhance safety. These innovative measures aim to safeguard residents and visitors alike, particularly those enjoying the city's vibrant nightlife during the weekends.

How do drones help?

The drones deployed by the police are equipped with thermal sensors, a spotlight, and speakers, to monitor the beach zone and areas where people gather at night. These late-night drone missions primarily occur on Fridays and Saturdays, designed to stop sexual assaults and hasten police response if violence does occur.

As reported by DroneDJ, Brighton's beachfront has been the scene of several recent crimes, including rapes, prompting the redeployment of this surveillance drone from neighboring West Sussex. Two trained Sussex Police pilots operate the drone above Brighton's beach promenade. Their role includes identifying potentially vulnerable individuals and alerting their colleagues on the ground or nearby officers when suspicious activity is detected. This aerial approach is expected to be more effective than traditional foot patrols, especially in the challenging terrain of the sandy beach and darkness.

Superintendent Adele Tucknott, Sussex Police's lead for violence against women and girls, emphasized the primary goal of the drone patrols, she said, “It is an extra set of eyes in the sky that gives a completely new perspective of typically harder to reach areas, like the beach, that officers on the ground are as easily able to see.”

This deployment follows an earlier safety initiative by the private UK company Drone Defence. The company proposed an app-based system that allows individuals under threat of attack to summon a drone to their location. The drone would then use lights and sounds to deter assailants while capturing video evidence of the incident.

This effective use of drones shows that the technology can be of greater use to stop sexual assaults and save lives if used wisely. Drones can be an amazing tool for law enforcement officers to prevent heinous crimes.

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