Police donate drones to Devon and Cornwall search and rescue charity

Police have donated high-tech drone equipment to Peninsula Search and Rescue, who help support emergency services across Devon and Cornwall.

The three drones will allow the regional search organisation to expand its capabilities, and help even more vulnerable people, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The teams provide specialised skills to respond to calls from police and the ambulance service, when assistance is required by members of the public who are lost, injured or at risk, particularly in remote places.

Sergeant Chris Linzey, Chief Drone Pilot and Flight Safety Manager for Devon and Cornwall Police, said the drones "are very capable bits of kit and, even though they are surplus to our requirements, they will be put to excellent use by PenSAR".

"Devon and Cornwall Police is the largest geographic Force in England and there are many remote beauty spots across the two counties including coasts and moors. Drones can reach areas where officers can't always get to quickly and are a unique tool that can provide real-time aerial footage and thermal imaging to support searches," Sergeant Linzey said.

"The donated drones signal a very big jump in the capabilities for this search and rescue group as they are weatherproof and can be used in low light or darkness, acting as a very efficient extra pair of eyes in the sky," he said.

"We rely on these fantastic charity volunteer organisations to assist us with our important search operations so we are more than happy to do what we can to support them in return," Sergeant Linzey said.

Devon and Cornwall Police began trialling and deploying drone technology in 2015, and went on to create the country's first full-time dedicated police drone unit in 2017.

The force now has a fleet of around 20 drones to help with incidents across the two counties, working alongside other search methods such as dogs, the National Police Air Service and officers on the ground.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew, the national policing lead for search and rescue, said drones "are a vital tool for police forces to allow us to help vulnerable members of society and others who may need rescue".

"Every day our officers are called upon to assist in challenging situations and I am proud of how we utilise the latest technology to bring these incidents to a safe conclusion," ACC Mayhew said.

"We are grateful to organisations such as PenSAR and the volunteers who give their time to help the police. This donation of equipment will potentially help them reach even more people," he said.

Alec Collyer MBE, PenSAR Drone Officer, said a number of the charity's teams have started using drones to support their search and rescue assistance to Devon and Cornwall Police.

"To maximise the usefulness of these assets the drones need to be able to locate people using thermal imaging, fly in little or no light and be weatherproof for the region's climate - drones that can do that are expensive for smaller charities such as ours," Mr Collyer said.

"This wonderful donation from Devon and Cornwall Police will go a long way to help our volunteer teams in search and rescue for those injured, missing and vulnerable in the region," he said.

Peninsula Search and Rescue, formerly known as PenMaCRA, is the regional body of Mountain Rescue England and Wales for all the voluntary search and rescue teams of the South West Peninsula, covering Cornwall, Devon, Avon and Somerset.