Sunday, November 09, 2014

Using Camera Drones in Some Routine Police Work Would Greatly Benefit taxpayers.


Los Angeles, CA—When there is a personal injury or fatal accident on any one of our highways it must be investigated.
Police respond, care for the injured until the arrival of EMT’s, arrange for towing of disabled vehicles and prepare accurate diagrams of the scene for their reports.
They also need to photograph the vehicles, skid marks and debris.  This takes time and keeps the freeway closed until they’re finished.
The diagrams are used by the courts and insurance companies to fix responsibility for these mishaps.  In some cases people are charged with serious crimes such as Murder and Manslaughter.  Defense lawyers can be counted upon argue that the diagrams are inaccurate or misleading in order to win freedom for their clients.
Skid marks and tire scuff is forensic evidence that’s used by investigators to reconstruct accidents.  Speed is routinely determined by measurement of these marks on the pavement that all too quickly disappears from view. 
Drone images can far more accurately capture an accident scene removing guesswork as to their integrity of measurements of skid marks and such.
A small drone can be carried in a police vehicle trunk, and quickly deployed by officers at such scenes.  High-resolution video and still photographs can be taken from perhaps 50 or 60 feet above in 10% of the time it takes to make a good diagram. 
The same holds true for violent crime scenes and many other events that could be documented by the inexpensive drones. 
The camera drone industry is changing at lightning speed right now to fill every possible need for these sometimes life-saving products. 
My best drone equipment is not even six months old and is already being made obsolete by improved devices! 
Here is the equipment that I’m currently using and its cost is no more than $2,500.00
At a minimum police will be able to reopen the highways quicker reducing the already problematic gridlock.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Paul; With your background in patrol and interest in drones, one would think you have played with the numbers of hiring out your services as an independent contractor to insurance companies. I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know the legalities of discovery, but as someone is interested in saving $500,000, I would think there would be an opportunity somewhere.