The London police will use drones to respond quickly to emergencies, but public reactions are mixed, with some people fearing surveillance.

The London police have announced the implementation of a project called 'Drone as First Aid', which will allow the use of drones for rapid interventions in case of emergencies. The drones will be stored in special boxes on the rooftops of police buildings and will be sent directly to the scene of incidents. Once they arrive, they will transmit real-time images to the control center or officers on the ground, facilitating the search for missing persons, tracking suspects, and collecting evidence.

Public reactions are mixed; activists from 'Big Brother Watch' consider this initiative to be 'sinister', fearing possible excessive surveillance. The deputy police commissioner emphasized that the purpose of using drones is not surveillance, but supporting police operations. Additionally, the UK aviation regulatory authority has selected, for 2024, six pilot projects that explore the use of drones in various fields, including infrastructure inspection.