Kevin Anderson pushes for police drone expansion into Gunnedah, Tamworth

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson is continuing his push for NSW Police drones to help boost police resources in Tamworth and Gunnedah.

The call comes after the launch of an Australian-first police drone trial in Moree earlier this year, which has provided local police with an additional aerial capability to assist with crime prevention, emergency response and searches.

The trial uses remotely operated drones, with police able to deploy the technology from a dedicated operations centre. The drones can provide police with real-time aerial information while officers respond to incidents on the ground.

The Moree trial has also received strong support from the local community, with 75 per cent of surveyed residents reporting that they felt safer because of the drone presence.

Mr Anderson said the results showed there was an opportunity to bring the technology to the Tamworth and Gunnedah regions.

“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,” Mr 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 are able to assist in search and rescue operations.

The technology provides police with another tool to gather information from above, particularly when responding to incidents where an aerial view could help officers locate people or vehicles, assess a situation or conduct a search.

“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,” Mr Anderson said.

“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.”