Residents in Tamworth and Gunnedah could benefit from an extra set of eyes in the sky, with calls for police drones to be introduced to help officers respond to crime, find offenders and assist in emergencies.
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson is pushing for the NSW Police drone program to be expanded to the region following a trial in Moree.
Anderson said the technology could strengthen local policing resources and help communities feel safer, pointing to figures showing 75 per cent of Moree residents reported feeling safer because of the drone presence.
“People in our community have a right to feel safe in their homes which is why I continue to push for more resources for our local police,” Anderson said.
“For some time, I’ve been calling on the government to give local police eyes in the skies by placing a division of the police air wing in Tamworth.
“Now that new drone technology is available and has proven successful, I want drones in the skies over Tamworth and Gunnedah by making the police drone program available in our region.
The drones can be used to locate offenders, track stolen vehicles and assist in search and rescue operations, potentially giving police faster access to information during incidents.
“Local police tell me that having this technology in Tamworth and Gunnedah would be a significant operational boost in their work to get on top of crime.
“I’ve already contacted the government, calling on them to expand the technology to our region, and I’ll be keeping the pressure on until we get the technology police need to help keep our community safe.”
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