COPTRZ, which is a full service UAS company, will be the exclusive supplier of UAS and accompanying technologies for the United Kingdom's Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police (the force). This announcement comes after the force announced earlier this year that it will employ full-time UAS pilots and create a dedicated UAS unit.

As a result of this partnership, the force will expand its fleet of UAS technology in the upcoming months, as it plans on purchasing a variety of specialist UAS that are equipped with optical zoom and thermal imaging capabilities.

“We are delighted to be chosen as the exclusive partner of the UK’s first dedicated police drone unit,” says Steve Coulson, Founder & Managing Director of COPTRZ.

“The demands of the awarded contract were strict, however, due to our unique supplier partnerships we have been able to provide a bespoke solution that will prove to be an excellent asset to Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police.”

Following a technical and competitive tender process, COPTRZ was able to recommend a complete UAS platform and accompanying equipment, which includes airframe, batteries, cameras, control systems and ongoing maintenance and warranty support for the duration of the lifespan of each aircraft.

Expected to be fully operational in early 2018, the new UAS—some of which will be equipped with dual camera capabilities, allowing for ground teams to receive both thermal and optical zoom data simultaneously—will primarily be used to search for missing people, for crime scene investigations, and to provide quick responses to major road traffic collisions.

The technology will also be used to help search the forces’ 600 miles of coastline.

The investment in this technology comes after 18 months of successful trials across the region. During the trials, the use of UAS reportedly “significantly increased response time and cost-effectiveness of the forces’ aerial assets.”