AP Plans to Deploy Drones in Every Police Station
AP government to implement drones in all 1,035 police stations under a PPP model for crime control, crowd management, and surveillance.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government plans to equip every police station in the state with a drone for multi-purpose operations, including crime detection and crowd control, under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
AP has nearly 1,035 police stations handling law and order, traffic management, and crime investigation. Currently, 187 drones have been strategically deployed at select police stations based on necessity. These drones are stationed at the offices of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), with circle inspectors (CIs) and sub-inspectors (SIs) using them as required before returning them to their original locations.
To expand drone deployment, the government has adopted the PPP model, where some drones will be procured directly by the state, while others will be acquired through private sector donations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding.
The drones will serve multiple functions, including law enforcement, crime prevention, monitoring religious processions during temple festivals, surveilling crime hotspots, curbing eve-teasing, and keeping watch over various anti-social activities.
Two police personnel in each station have been trained to operate the drones. Their services will be utilised whenever deployment is needed.
The use of drones in policing is gaining popularity, with notable successes such as detecting gamblers hiding in a lorry’s open trunk in Vizianagaram and locating a missing girl within minutes in Bhimavaram.
Vijayawada additional IGP (Law and Order), Siddarth Kaushal, stated, “The government aims to utilise drones extensively to monitor activities, prevent law and order breaches, and curb crime. Efforts are underway to procure the required number of drones for deployment as per necessity.”
