Gardaí to deploy drones for day-to-day policing after creation of new drone unit

It is set to come into effect over the next few months.⁠

Over the next few months, drones will become part of day-to-day work for Gardaí.

This follows the creation of the new Garda Drone Unit.

The drones will be used for riots and other major public disorder events, to record and help identify suspects, and work as an ‘eye in the sky’.

They are also set to be used at planned operations including searches related to criminal gangs in Ireland

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) also believes they could be used in place of Garda cars in high speed pursuits.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly revealed that the new unit should be fully up and running by the end of the year, helping officers nationwide.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Mayo, his as Commissioner, he said: "We certainly see a lot of potential in it for us.

"This isn't just for specialist work, this is in every day to day work involving things like pursuits, public order, lots and lots of different areas."

He continued: "We have obviously spoken to international colleagues. I myself, I was only in New York a couple of weeks ago and I visited the drone unit in One Police Plaza in the NYPD and saw how effectively they are using drones there."

Drones are already used by other police forces around the world including in Britain and in the US.