Date: 21/3/07
Author:  Ben Rossington
Source: Liverpool Echo

A REVOLUTIONARY miniature police spy helicopter which can monitor trouble hotspots and film crowds of football supporters could soon be launched on Merseyside.

Police will test fly the unmanned, remote-controlled CCTV drones in the next few weeks and if they decide to buy them would want them operational by the summer.

The drone, which looks like a model helicopter but is fitted with state-of-the-art CCTV cameras, can hover over trouble hotspots and large crowds and film what is going on in almost crystal clear quality.

It would make Merseyside the first force in the country to use such drone. 

Weighing the same as a bag of sugar, the “spy-in-the-sky” can land virtually anywhere, allowing police to scan over the most remote of locations.

Assistant chief constable Simon Byrne said: “The drone is something we are continuing to develop.

“We already have the force hel-icopter but the drone is smaller. We will have the resources to put several drones out at any one time.

“We could have one over a firearms incident in one part of Merseyside and have another watching over the crowds to spot for any trouble at a football match in another part.

“We have put aside significant investment to make it happen.”

The drone is just one of a number of gadgets the police have.

A box of tricks including helmet-mounted cameras and metal-detecting gloves to search for weapons is about to be further added to with the introduction of a talking car and a pocket-sized office designed to help the boys in blue out on the streets.

Some police vehicles are fitted with the Mosquito alarm that sends out a high-pitch noise only audible to youngsters.

The uncomfortable sound helps police clear problem areas of youths but the next development is to make that sound an actual voice.

Mr Byrne said: “Mosquito is something we use in areas where younger people are congregating and using alcohol or drugs.

“It doesn’t cause any damage to hearing or eardrums but it is a very uncomfortable sound to hear.

“We are looking to develop that technology further so we can emit a spoken message.”

Police are also looking to transform their patrol cars into mobile offices.

Mr Byrne added: “We are always looking at ways to keep officers out on the streets longer and cut out the need for them to return to the station to fill in paperwork or check computers.

“The first step of this is equipping patrol officers with the latest hand-held Blackberry technology.

“Eventually the plan is to have a virtual police station inside the cars. We want them linked up to the Police National Computer and intelligence records so officers can access all the information they might need to make the best decision quickly.”

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