NSW Police Stands by Acquisition of New Chinese Drones for Aerial Surveillance

A drone in flight in Shenzhen, China, on July 12, 2022. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty ImagesNSW Police is standing by the acquisition of two Chinese-produced DJI drones it will use for aerial surveillance.“Polair Remote” will be stationed in Moree in regional New South Wales (NSW) and be piloted from Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west.“The use of drones will allow regional police to utilise aerial assets without the need for an on-site pilot. Instead, the drones will be remotely piloted from a ‘Remote Operations Centre’ at Bankstown Airport, with real-time video being fed back to operational police,” reads the statement.“The drones will also assist police in providing situational awareness during public safety incidents and other emergencies, including search and rescue operations and missing people searches.”The two drones have already been used to assist with the response to assaults, break and enters, as well as vehicle recovery.They are housed in self-contained boxes where they can launch, land, and charge. After a six month trial, the technology will be rolled out across the state.