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UK: Domestic drones: massive rise in complaints to police

08 August 2016

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"Police are having to investigate a fourfold rise in the number of crime reports involving shop bought drones – including allegations they are being used by paedophiles over children's playgrounds, peeping toms spying through bedroom windows, burglars scoping out people's properties, and even cash point scammers recording PIN numbers.

An investigation by The Independent has found that the number of incidents reported to the police involving drones surged by 352 per cent in a single year as the public became increasingly aware – and suspicious – of the machines.

Reflecting the rapid uptake of the flying robotic devices, which can be fitted with cameras, reports to police surged from 94 in 2014 to 425 in 2015. The projected figure for 2016 is set to be even higher, with 272 reports recorded up until May this year."

See: Revealed: massive rise in drone-related crime reports amid paedophile fears (The Independent, link)

The figures obtained by The Independent are based on responses from less than half of the UK's police force (21 of 45). It thus seems likely that the actual number of complaints is far higher than reported.

For background on the use of drones in the UK - in particular by state agencies - see the February 2014 Statewatch/Drone Wars UK report: Back from the battlefield: domestic drones in the UK

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