4 minute read
Flying start
Next Article
Editorial: Danielle Ford and Natalie Butler
Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and John Pallot
For a unit that has only been operational for less than six months, Victoria Police’s Remote Piloted Aircraft and Systems (RPAS) Unit, better known as the Drone Unit, has had a busy start to working life.
From helping Victorian firefighters battle an underground fire over summer, to providing valuable eyes in the sky to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the unit and its battery-powered quadcopters provide a valuable 24/7 resource.
The unmanned aerial drones can support a wide range of police operations, including forensically documenting crime scenes, acting as a communication tool in emergency management situations or providing police with a better angle when monitoring public order.
Being these extra eyes in the sky is how the drones proved to be helpful during Victoria Police’s coronavirus response.
With the Chief Health Officer (CHO) restricting gatherings of people to different sizes at different stages of the pandemic, the Air Wing, which consists of police helicopters and the Drones Unit, was tasked to patrol popular locations for unlawful gatherings.
Police Air Wing Inspector Craig Shepherd said having the Drone Unit meant more areas were able to be patrolled each day, assisting in breaking up large gatherings and helping slow the spread of the virus.
“When the drones are deployed, the camera on them has a 3km total reach,” Insp Shepherd said.
“This meant we were able to task a drone to the St Kilda pier and from that one drone we had a view all the way up to Station Pier in Port Melbourne and then down to Elwood Beach.”
According to Insp Shepherd, the ability to have a drone operator from the squad working in the local area, accompanied by frontline police, meant they were able to quickly identify and talk to people breaching CHO directions.
“Whenever the drones were out, the operator was accompanied by members from the Public Order Response Team or the Mounted Branch,” Insp Shepherd said.
“These officers were able to look at the footage and then head down to areas where large gatherings or breaches were identified and ask people to move on.”
During the bushfires earlier this year, the unit also proved to be of great assistance to other emergency services.
When an underground fire was threatening to destroy a major gas pipeline into New South Wales, the Drone Unit was able to help Victorian firefighters assess the blaze.
A/Sgt Eleshia Ajani and A/Sen Sgt Adrian Morley are two of the specially-trained officers that make up the Remote Piloted Aircraft and Systems Unit, which has been kept busy since launching in July 2019.
RPAS Acting Senior Sergeant Adrian Morley said the blaze would ordinarily have taken days – if not weeks – to assess, but the unit was able to make the process simpler.
“The fire agencies had to dig trenches either side of the pipe and flood them to make sure the peat fire didn’t come into the pipe.
This was while they had hectares of land burning around the pipe,” A/Sen Sgt Morley said.
“To save them basically walking every metre and checking the temperature every single day, we would go there and map the whole scene for them in two hours.
“The firefighters loved it; they absolutely loved it. It saved them a massive amount of time and money.”
As well as mapping out peat fires, the drones were used to seek out wildlife and tour fireravaged sites to assess any damage to areas of cultural significance, such as the Buchan caves.
Being able to provide aerial oversight of emergencies is a major role of the drones, but the realm of possibilities for these high-flying gadgets moving forward grows as the unit does.
A/Sen Sgt Morley said the situational awareness the drones provide is a major benefit.
“If things turn pear-shaped in the public, we can get drones up and go, ‘Okay, what is actually occurring?”
“Police on the ground can only see what their eyes can see, but we provide a different perspective.”
The drones can also aid search and rescue efforts when scouring tricky terrain for a missing person, saving hours of work on foot.
They can be used to drop off essential items such as communications, hydration, food and medication to those waiting on rescue.
Then there’s the advantage of relieving pressure on the police Air Wing, which may be tied up at other jobs or unable to respond due to unconducive weather.
As A/Sen Sgt Morley said, the drones can go “wherever your imagination takes you – as long as it fits in with the regulations and governance of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)”.
The unit is still developing since its launch in July last year but operates on a hub-andspoke model.
The hub is responsible for governance and compliance, which means any flights coordinated by the spokes – which can include regional and specialist units – must be ticked off through a job safety assessment.
Typically, drones cannot be flown within three nautical miles, or 5.5km, of an aerodrome, within 30m of a person, or at night.
These restrictions have required Victoria Police to apply for several exemptions through CASA, and to have additional certificates of qualification, A/Sen Sgt Morley said.
There’s still work to be done, but there’s no doubt the Drone Unit will provide a tool like no other going forward, whether it’s to map the scene of a crime or major collision, or to respond during public order events and emergencies.
“We’re a tool for other police to use,” A/Sen Sgt Morley said.
“The general line for my people is, ‘Don’t try to tell them how to do their job’.
“Let them dictate to you what they need to know.
“If our drones can go there, we’ll get them the information they need.”
