USE OF DRONES
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Use of Drones in Criminal Investigations Position Paper
There is a constant need to upgrade the existing investigation techniques and methodologies to serve justice to the victims at the earliest with the lack of expert availability and the increase in the number of crimes. Unmanned aerial vehicles with functional variabilities, drones can be used in handling the challenges experienced at the crime scenes (Custers, 2016). Drones can be tailored with digital techno-devices and, thus, assist forensic experts and law enforcement bodies in photographing, searching, and recording the evidence, and digitally mapping the entire scenes of crimes.
The investigators face many problems because of the complicated nature of areas of the crime scene during investigations of the crime scene (Custers, 2016). For instance, the evidence and secondary crime scenes can be extended to the connecting slopes and the lower hill areas if a crime has taken place in a hilly region. Video-taking, photography, documenting, and barricading such crime areas are extremely important and hard at the same time. Investigators are also needed to sketch the crime scenes depicting the evidence positions and search and collect the evidence without any tampering. Any contamination may lead to loss of the evidential value and narrow down the scope of the investigation (Ismaili, 2015). The crime scene management and investigation are time-consuming, vulnerable to manipulation, and involve a large number of trained personnel and experts.
The crime scene and the evidence are photographed with an over-view, mid-view, and a close-up view range (Custers, 2016). It also requires a high-resolution camera with a skilled professional. Seldom, it is challenging to photograph evidence beyond the photographers’ reach, such as in mountainous slopes, seas, ponds, and lakes. However, a drone can easily photograph the minute evidence with its high pixel camera without disturbing the evidence. It can be flown to a considerable height in rural areas, forest regions, or water bodies. Videotaping is another form of documentation done by the personnel to record the whole crime scene in a flow. Like photography, videotaping the crime scene can be achieved using a drone. It can videotape the large inaccessible crime scenes accurately, efficiently, and in a short span of time. An extensive search for the evidence follows the documentation. Some of the evidence may be overlooked even if the search pattern methods are employed (Ismaili, 2015). A drone can search and locate the proofs, which are further necessary for collection.
3D digital images may be created using this information, and the reconstruction of the crime scene can be successfully done (Custers, 2016). LIDAR technology helps us map trace evidence like glass, bloodstains, hair, fibre, and saliva. The steps of crime scenes like documentation photography, videotaping, searching for evidence, and reconstruction may be achieved by employing a drone. A drone can serve as an essential tool in Tele-forensic to aid the expert in the investigation directly from the laboratory. For example, fingerprints found at crime scenes may be imaged and transferred to the fingerprint bureaus directly by drones. The scanned image can be analyzed, and the results can be obtained within no time while at the crime scene (Ismaili, 2015). Thus, the incorporation of a drone in Tele-forensic can ease the process of investigation and save time.
The present methods involved in investigations of crime crimes are susceptible to contamination and trained personnel, extensive, and time-consuming. Nevertheless, this research’s applications have proved to a practical device in investigations and management of the crime scenes (Ismaili, 2015). The introduction of such technology to the investigation agencies will reduce the time and workforce consumed otherwise. The modernization of the investigation procedures is the need of the hour to cope with the current rate of omission of crimes and their processing.
However, drones can prove to be of no use during harsh climatic conditions. Since it employs rotor driven machinery and low battery life, the functioning of drones can be hampered and may collapse. This can be replaced by hydrogen fuel-driven drones to overcome the battery problem (Custers, 2016). Currently, drones are being used by military personnel for covert operations and attacking terrorists. The police forces are using drones for monitoring the crowd in public places, patrolling the border areas, and surveillance by secret agencies. The proposed use of drones in investigations of crime scenes will definitely prove to be a boon for investigation agencies if incorporated and managed well.
References
Custers, B., (2016). Future of Drone use. TMC Asser Press.
Ismaili, K. (Ed.). (2015). US criminal justice policy: A contemporary reader. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.