Delta B.C. Police Uses Drone to Catch Speeding Drivers

Drones are becoming more and more accessible. And these compact aerial cameras are not only good for weddings and real estate sales, they can also be of service in communities and police departments alike by keeping a vigilant eye on problematic sectors for speeding and street racing.

Police in Delta, B.C. recently put a drone to work in hopes to spot street racing activities taking place on Tsawwassen First Nation lands and in the area of Highway 17.

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“The drone allows our officers to have fantastic visibility over a wide area, as well as zoom in on offender’s license plates,” says Acting Sergeant Grayson Smith, head of the Delta Police Traffic Section. “Instead of trying to pull over these drivers going at high speeds, the drone operator follows them, and officers who are strategically placed can make these stops when safe to do so.”

For example, officers were able to stop one vehicle travelling at 157 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The driver was served a ticket for excessive speed, and the vehicle was also impounded for a week.  It’s a hefty 400 $+ fine, and it comes with impound and tow fees.

Vehicle inspections were also conducted, resulting in additional infractions for driving mechanically unfit or modified cars.

“Using the drone in this manner was definitely productive. We’ll be making use of it for future enforcement initiatives of this nature,” says Smith.

Here are a few images captured during an enforcement operation on Aug 26th.