Coimbatore, Madurai police push for drone units

After the Tamil Nadu government issued orders sanctioning Rs 3.6 crore for the formation of the Drone Police Unit for Chennai, similar demands have arisen from Coimbatore and Madurai city police units.

Senior officer with the Coimbatore City police while speaking to IANS said: “We have sought permission to start a drone unit under the Coimbatore city police commissioner. During festivals and other VVIP visits the drone units will be of huge help and we have written a detailed mail regarding the same to the state police headquarters.”

The officer said that the movement of strangers in water tanks at Ukkadam Pariyakulam, Valankulam, and Singanallur can also be monitored by the use of drone units.

The city police, according to information, has requested a budget of Rs 2.3 crore for the drone unit and has also given the split up regarding the same to the Police headquarters at Chennai.

Meanwhile, Madurai city police unit has also requested the state headquarters of a drone unit. Madurai, according to officers is a sensitive area and the movement of strangers and people approaching the city could be photo and videographed and uploaded into the software units of the city police. These photo and video footages could be randomly checked with the previous criminal antecedents and immediate action could be taken.

Sources in the Madurai city police told IANS that they have sent a request letter to the Chennai police headquarters requesting a budget of Rs 2.4 crore. The split up details are also given in the budget, according to police officers who are privy to this information.

Police said that the drone units are an important part of the investigation and surveillance of criminal activities and wanted the state police headquarters to sanction the funds for the same without any hindrance.