For the past several years, Mark Sharpe of the Ontario Provincial Police force has been using aerial pictures and video to help with law enforcement. From homemade devices made from commercial electronics to hobby aircraft with cameras, he has saved the police department approximately $20,000 in aircraft charter costs. Working with makeshift equipment helped the OPP greatly, but with today’s world issues and a vast area to patrol, they began looking for something more.

The OPP found a solution with the Draganflyer helicopter, North America’s first commercially available UAV legalized for law enforcement applications. Fast deployment and an advanced autopilot make the Draganflyer UAV the perfect choice for police departments who need aerial pictures and video.

So why would a police force based out of a small city need aerial surveillance? For one thing, the Ontario police need to cover a huge area ranging all the way from the U.S border to Hudson Bay. It is hoped that using remotely operated vehicles can help reduce charter costs to remote areas. Aerial pictures and video are also very useful in court, helping judges and juries to visualize crime scenes effectively.

Featured on www.canada.com, the Winnipeg Free Press, and the Saskatoon Star Pheonix, it’s clear that there’s definitely a market for UAVs in law enforcement applications.