Car thieves, dangerous drivers, and violent criminals all had cause to rue the presence of our remote-controlled eyes in the sky as the drones team enjoyed its most productive year yet.
The team, now consisting of 20 trained officers from departments across the force, supported colleagues on the ground on more occasions than ever before.
As a result, they delivered more positive outcomes than ever before, including:
- Locating fleeing and hiding suspects on 79 occasions
- Locating vehicles of interest on 19 occasions
- Helping to locate vulnerable missing people on 34 occasions
This increased performance has been made possible by the training of additional pilots, who volunteer to fly drones on top of their day-to-day roles as police officers.
Each must complete a nationally accredited course to prove they can fly drones safely and use them effectively to carry out aerial searches for people and property.
Those officers – who volunteer for aerial shifts in addition to their substantive roles – have also been supported by the addition of a bespoke drone response vehicle, adapted to allow for the storage and quick deployment of fully assembled drones.
The new drone car allows for quicker deployments
Significant wins for the team in 2025 included:
- The arrest of an 18-year-old man on suspicion of theft offences after a stolen moped was tracked by a drone operator to an address in Netherfield.
- A vulnerable missing man found in the dark near King’s Mill Hospital.
- The arrest of a wanted man who was filmed climbing through windows in a failed bid to escape. Drone operators confirmed he had entered a property and had not come out. He was later found hiding in the loft.
- The recovery of a stolen e-bike after its rider was filmed from the air riding through Hucknall.
- The location of a domestic abuse suspect wanted for a violent assault against a woman.
- The arrest of a dangerous driver who hopped over multiple garden hedges and out of sight of officers on the ground. Sadly for him, he couldn’t avoid the all-seeing eye in the sky.
- Another domestic abuse suspect who was given away by the single foot our operator could see protruding from the bush he was hiding in.
On many of these occasions, people would have gone undetected without the intervention of a drone and the powerful thermal imaging cameras they are fitted with.
This runaway driver was found hiding in a ditch by the drone
Sergeant Vince Saunders, chief drone pilot and team leader, said:
“Officers on the ground are now seeking our help more than ever before.
“That’s because they understand the unique role we can play in multiple different scenarios – particularly at night when people can be very hard to find.
“Drones are also very cost-effective and can be deployed over scenes quickly and, if needed, discreetly.
“It is hugely satisfying for us when we know that we’ve made a vital difference to a particular operation – up to and including helping to save the lives of vulnerable people.”
This suspect was found hiding in a garden by the drone
The drones team, founded in 2020, operates a fleet of drones – consisting of two heavy-duty main drones and several smaller aircraft.
Deployments are either spontaneous or pre-planned to support ongoing operations.
Typical flights are used to track suspects, locate missing people, gather vital evidence, and support officers on the ground during pre-planned operations like drug warrants.
The purpose designed drone response vehicle allows for aircraft to be transported ready assembled for flight
