Sector 8 CPF welcomes newest member – Buzzy the drone!

A few areas in Krugersdorp will feel a lot safer thanks to the new Matrice MT30 drone named Buzzy!

The Sector 8 Community Policing Forum (CPF), which covers Breaunanda, Factoria, Kenmare, Rangeview extension 1 and Silverfields, launched this magnificent drone on Wednesday, October 19.

Public Relations Officer and Drone Project owner Henry Carson said the planning started four years ago when they launched a visibility project and noticed, two years ago, significant enhancements in the field of drones, and started investigating various drones and how this could benefit the CPF and community at large.

“The project received a green light about six months ago, to research drones, practical uses, vendors and the operational challenges associated with it, and we partnered with Africa Drone Kings to get the best possible drone for the job. The primary focus was to ensure we are able to safely operate the drone, and compliment our patroller activities and support the police if needed.”

He explained the primary reason for the drone is crime prevention, by adding additional ‘patroller eyes’ in the area through which they can evaluate movement and suspicious activities in a rapid and safe manner.

The most important feature is the drone’s rapid deployment, it can cover a large area in seconds and provide an aerial view, which is not possible through their traditional patrolling methods.

“This means we can see where the movement is without the need to go and look for it, and direct patrollers where needed. It has real-time video streaming, through the internet to our coordinators, which means they are able to take full control of the onboard camera and evaluate the image while our pilot focuses on keeping the drone safely in the air.”

They are also able to pre-program flight paths to ensure the drone remains within a preset area, this includes the ability to restrict altitude heights to ensure they don’t infringe on any aviation regulations. The drone has several collision avoidance sensors to protect itself and others, and will halt flight operations and send notifications to the pilot if it detects any obstacles around, below and above itself up to 10m away. It is further equipped with receivers to monitor the area for manned aircrafts, and will send out early warning notifications. Using GPS coordinates and a return to home function, the drone is able to fly itself back to the point from which it was launched should anything go wrong during flight, such as low batteries, out of range from the controller or technical fault.

“We are very proud of this initiative and believe it’s the community’s way to respond to the ever increasing and continuously evolving criminal tactics. It’s time that we start using technology to our advantage.”

Henry said the biggest advantage of the drone is the ability to safely and cost-effectively monitor crime and in the current climate of continuously increasing fuel costs, it’s a relief to deploy this advanced technology to also support their patrollers financially and more importantly, their safety.

They are busy training a selection of people to fly the drone and coordinators to assist with the camera/ surveillance work.

“The drone will only be used on instruction from our patrollers to avoid abuse and unnecessary use of the equipment. The main aim is to use the drone proactively when suspicious behaviour is noticed or detected.”

He said Sector 8 is all about making their neighbourhood a safer place for families, and Buzzy is a tool to help achieve this ambition.

“Buzzy will comply with aviation regulations like not to fly within 50m of people or buildings or within 10km of an airport to name a few and sector 8 will also impose its own rules such as not to fly outside our sector boundaries.”

Henry stated the drone is an investment for the community and should be a deterrent for criminals.

“We want the community to welcome Buzzy as our friendly neighbourhood watchdog. It’s vital that the entire community is aware of Buzzy, its purpose and responsibility so that people understand why and are comfortable with it being used in the area. Initially it will be an unfamiliar sight and will trigger lots of questions. Hopefully it will spark positive conversation among residents and build a stronger community. So if you notice Buzzy, please tell your neighbour about it, and that it’s operated by the CPF for the community.”

Any queries, complaints or suggestions should be addressed to the Sector 8 CPF directly at info@kdcpf8.co.za.