A solitary DJI Inspire 1 Quadcopter patrolling the skies in Mexican city Esenada (2 hours south of Tijuana) is having a major impact on crime.
According to local police interviewed by Wired – the drone is said to be responsible for 30 percent fewer home robberies and a 10 percent drop in overall crime in Esenada (population 522,000).
Due to their ability to fly – drones will usually make it to the scene of a crime faster than a ground-based police unit. Because of the drone’s ability to capture crystal-clear images from high in the spy, the Inspire drone’s images have led the local police department to more than 500 arrests. Unsurprisingly, having clear footage of a crime makes a police prosecution case a much simpler process.
Esenada, Mexico
In the four months the drone has been in operation, it has flown an average of 25 missions a day – generally in response to 911 calls. The police in Mexico equip their drone with software from California-based Cape (a company enabling people to control a flying camera in real-time) which automates many parts of the Inspire’s flight including takeoffs and landing. The drones are monitored from a local police control room and officers can check the live stream from the drone’s camera.
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