NEXT year the police are expected to be handed new powers to watch over the mis-use of drones. But should we also be asking who is watching over the police?
According to Police Scotland, the force is developing drones that could be used in the search for missing people. In the longer term, the devices could also be used on covert missions designed to detect and prevent terrorism.
On the face of it, this all looks reasonable. But, as with any technological development of this nature, it is important to ensure the rules are fit for purpose – the legislation will have to be regularly reviewed to ensure it is keeping up with the technology.
Anyone who has a drone for personal use also has to be aware of their own responsibilities. Thousands of people will receive drones as Christmas presents, but how many of them will be aware of the rules? For example, drones must not be flown over 400ft; they also cannot be used within 150ft of people or property.
The risks of flouting these rules are real – there have already been some near misses with planes. However, we also know that drones can be put to good use – this summer, for example, they have been deployed in a number of mountain rescues.
The point is that the technology itself is neither good nor bad. We just have to ensure that the correct controls are in place so that drones do not soar out of control.
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