The Future of Public Safety: Drones Play Key Role in Crime Fighting and Disaster Response Posted on May 10, 2023 As emerging technologies continue to one-up human capabilities, life is starting to feel like a science-fiction movie. Take, for example, the remarkable drone employment in crime response and improving public safety. In the United Arab Emirates, police use drones equipped with facial recognition technology to track wanted persons. A drone scans public areas for identified criminals; if it suspects a target, it captures images from multiple angles. Artificial intelligence (AI) models then scan these images for instant analysis. When it confirms a match, ground units can make an immediate arrest. Drones also capture data and aerial images from multiple angles and sensor noise, vibration, and heat, so they’re invaluable in crime scene investigations. What’s more, they can surveil vast areas in short periods. This makes them ideal tools for searching for missing persons, surveilling crowds during public events, managing mob violence, and tracking illegal activities. Whether patrolling hazardous industrial sites or monitoring traffic accidents, drones offer a revolutionary solution to public safety, crime, and disaster management. Source: Shutterstock General Public Safety The density of urban areas and large cities makes it difficult to respond to safety incidents in a timely manner. Identifying and anticipating safety hazards before they become disastrous is also challenging in these locations. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can monitor traffic, assess accidents, and track suspects. More importantly, they can also help prevent public safety incidents from happening in the first place. Drones can inspect facilities, public works, towers, wires, pipelines, construction sites, and reservoirs for inconsistencies, safety compliance, and potential risks. Since they can detect people in the dark through heat, noise, and vibration sensing, they can also monitor areas effectively at night or during power outages. In addition, drones improve the security architecture of stadiums and other facilities where crowds gather. By placing drones at the entrance of stadiums, they can collect and send data through facial detection algorithms. This can help monitor crowd flow and address stadium violence. Similarly, drones facilitate long-range asset monitoring. This enables the surveillance of industrial facilities like chemical plants, petroleum refineries, power plants, ports, and manufacturing facilities. Partnering with state and federal organizations can create a unified system for protecting critical assets and public areas. Emergency and Disaster Response Drones are incredibly valuable in disaster response, whether for fires, chemical spills, floods, or earthquakes. They can survey disaster areas and generate a high-resolution 3D map. This way, first responders can monitor the public safety impact of events and identify areas that are inaccessible or unsafe. UAVs search vast areas in a short period and access areas that are hard for humans to get to. By assisting with route planning during search and rescue operations, they significantly reduce disaster intervention time. This allows for more efficient and effective deployment of resources. Even better, areas that are immediately inaccessible or dangerous for first responders can still receive assistance. With the help of drones, teams can send medical supplies, food, and water to disaster victims until rescue teams can reach them. Crime Prevention Crime situations require fast action while remaining tactful and strategic. Drones improve situational awareness for law enforcement teams with live-stream updates. This enables accurate decision-making and guides the best course of action. However, it’s important to note that the use of drones for law enforcement purposes must respect individual privacy rights and comply with relevant regulations and laws. Drones’ ability to fly and follow targets on the run lets them provide real-time aerial surveillance, which helps police forces apprehend perpetrators. UAVs are less costly to operate than helicopters or aircraft, and they can access areas traditional aircraft can’t. Increased situational awareness minimizes response times and improves safety for first responders. There’s also a lower public safety risk. That means, thanks to drones, the fight against crime is more efficient, less costly, and much safer. Additionally, UAVs remotely map, record, and preserve crime scene data for later forensic investigation. By analyzing data over time, law enforcement can identify patterns, track changes, and more accurately predict (and prevent) future issues. Source: Shutterstock Oil and Gas—Public Safety, Crime, and Disaster Response Concerns The oil and gas industry is a vital component of the global economy, providing the energy resources needed to power the modern world. However, oil and gas production, transportation, and storage present a range of potential risks and hazards, including public safety concerns, criminal activity, and the need for rapid disaster response. And while there are noteworthy security measures, surveillance systems, and emergency response plans in place, they’re costly, error-prone, and often slow to action. Ensuring the safety of workers, nearby residents, and the environment is a top priority for oil and gas companies. Oil spills and gas leaks have serious health and environmental consequences and can even be fatal. In the event of a disaster, rapid and effective response is essential to minimize the impact. Oil and gas infrastructures are also high targets for criminal activity like theft and sabotage. Such incidents are extremely costly for suppliers. Mitigate Disasters and Ensure Public Safety With SkyX The public safety sector’s use of drones is helping first responders more effectively predict disasters, assess damage, and bring life-saving resources to survivors. Through advanced facial recognition software, these devices also help law enforcement find missing or wanted persons in crowds and make swift arrests. Similarly, UAVs in the oil and gas industry are instrumental in pipeline surveillance, leak and damage detection, terrain modeling, and emergency response. By integrating high-tech cameras, and sensors with purpose-built aerial systems, SkyX delivers actionable data to identify problems before they become critical. Get visual verification of a disaster site to select a safe course of action for your crew. Cover vast areas to inspect pipelines more quickly. Improve both efficiency and public safety while reducing costs. What’s more, our SkyX Drones-as-a-Service model offers flexibility to suit your needs. We also ensure regulatory certification compliance. Unexpected pipeline disasters can cost you greatly. Let SkyX help you mitigate risks, assess situations faster, and make intelligent and informed decisions that benefit your bottom line. Book your demo today.