Police across the country can use drones

Following a successful pilot project, it was decided that all police districts in Norway will be able to start using drones in their work.

– Drones allow the police to get an overview faster. This is part of the new police, which uses new technology to fight crime that is constantly changing, says Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Monica Mæland (H) in a press release from the Police Directorate.

Since September 2019, the Agder, Trøndelag and Troms police districts have tested the use of drones for various police purposes. The recommendations of all districts are that the use of drones should be continued in the police.

Profit on 75 percent of assignments

– When the assessment shows that drones are a significant benefit to police work in 75 percent of police assignments, it is important that it is now rolled out across the country. For crime to decrease, response time must also decrease. So tools like drones, in addition to the new police cars that are on the way, are very important, says the justice minister.

The main focus of the project has been documenting the crime scene and improving the understanding of the situation by the police. Additionally, drones have been used for search, rescue, and other police tasks.

Educate 100 operators

In the first instance, each police district will have the opportunity to train six operators. In total, around 100 drone operators will receive police training.

– This means that, in the first instance, there will be a relatively low availability of drones, says emergency director Tone Vangen.

However, it is up to each police chief to use drones in their police district.