Written by Edward Yun and Samuel Qu
What is the problem?
Currently, the use of police helicopters is extremely expensive. Police helicopters require about $1200/ hour without accounting for the pilot's salary. For smaller cities with less funding, this is not viable. There are many benefits to aerial surveillance over ground surveillance, however the cost holds back many cities.
Why Aerial Support is Better Than Ground Support
Having a vantage point is beneficial in police work. Helicopters have better visibility, allowing them to support pursuits without having police cars at high speeds putting lives in danger. In addition, the information they provide to the ground during arrests or any other situations can mean the difference between life or death. They can also continue surveillance in areas not accessible in most situations. However, surveillance is useless without adequate response times. Helicopters are superior in this area too. Helicopters can fly at 150 mph, putting them first at the scene in many cities. There is also a psychological effect on an offender when there is an aerial vehicle following them; it forces them to make poor decisions in attempts to get away.
Aerial support can be useful in situations other than pursuits and arrests. Surveillance is a major reason for aerial surveillance’s superiority. Even if it's not chasing a suspect, monitoring crowds or investigating smaller incidents can be better done using drones. Search and rescue operations are another prime example. Having cost effective options like drones allow for higher volumes of operations and leads to higher success rates.
Our Proposal
Our proposal is to integrate cost effective and rugged drones onto every police squad car. There have been an estimated 50 million police interactions per year and 68,000 police pursuits per year, and the use of drones can alleviate pressure for law enforcement. Having vast accessibility can provide many of the advantages stated above. With little modification, a launch port can be installed onto the top of every cruiser and it can be used in everyday situations.
The implementation of artificial intelligence can also increase our proposals effectiveness. Automatically detecting speeding or other small violations can be more efficiently spotted using drones that all officers have access to at all times.
What Differentiates Our Proposal from Current Applications
Many police stations currently do utilize drones. However, they are in limited quantities and are for more specialized purposes. With our proposed drone implementation, officers do not have to send out requests and wait in queues to use drones. The ease of use from our proposal can aid in everyday police work and create a more efficient network.
Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and other sensors can provide valuable intelligence and situational awareness to officers on the ground. With their ability to fly at high altitudes and in tight spaces, drones can also provide unique perspectives and insights that are difficult to obtain through traditional ground-based surveillance. Because the drone is attached to the roof of a cruiser, it is able to be deployed instantly, compared to a helicopter which takes around 15 minutes for the helicopter to respond to a call.
Utilizing present object tracking software from companies such as DJI, it is possible to use the drone to automatically track the movement and location of a car/person(s) without the aid of a human pilot. This technology can provide police officers with real-time updates and situational awareness, allowing them to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and crimes in progress with the aid of aerial information, which may not be available if called upon by helicopter.
Sample Prototype of Drone Storage
H Block with locking mechanism to store drone inside; opening inside storage block allows the drone to leave the block easily while being protected from the elements
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