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Devon police will establish the UK's first 24/7 drone squad

The fleet will search for missing persons and otherwise assist officers.

Devon and Cornwall Police

The Devon and Cornwall Police force is to become the first in the UK with a permanent, 24-hour drone assistance unit. The flying fuzz will be on hand to search for missing persons, seek out suspects and generally provide an eye in the sky whenever needed, gathering intel at crime scenes and responding to road accidents. The dedicated unit, which will also help out police in neighbouring Dorset, is set to launch this summer after a new "drone manager" is hired to oversee the nine sites the coppercopters will operate out of.

Drones are being trialled by police forces across the UK, and London rozzers have previously said they could make high-speed pursuits safer, particularly where motorbikes are involved. Devon and Cornwall Police is the first constabulary to commit to a permanent unit after testing DJI Inspire 1 drones in the field for the past two years.