Hong Kong police launched their first urban drone patrol operations, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to increase surveillance and crime prevention within highly populated urban areas. On Friday, a drone was used to scan a 96,000 square metre section of Yau Ma Tei and Jordan, Kowloon about the size of 13 football fields in 25 minutes.
Carlos Shum Lap-chi, the operations officer of Yau Tsim police district, pointed out the effectiveness of drone patrols over conventional ground operations. “These drones can cover more rounds than officers on foot, greatly enhancing effectiveness,” Shum said.
The action is in the wake of a three-month pilot scheme in the border and Kowloon West launched recently. As a first phase, the drone patrolling in Yau Tsim is for Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, and Tsim Sha Tsui will concentrate on hotspot areas and so-called “three-nil buildings,” which do not have residents’ organisations or property management services.
Shum further stated that an expansion into other busy areas of the district would be undertaken in a second phase, but no timeline was given. Every drone operation is manned by two officers and supplements current ground patrols to extend police presence.
Outreach to the community has been part of the rollout. Amanda Lui Ching-yin, community relations officer, stated that district councilors, members of the anti-crime committee, and care teams in the area were explained to, letters were sent to property managers, and security posts were called on.
The public was assured by the authorities that drones would never capture footage unless something suspicious was noticed, and the devices would not peer into residential units.
While residents voiced few privacy concerns, some questioned the patrols’ impact on crime reduction. One elderly resident, Mr. Tang, called the initiative “somewhat useful,” while another, Ms. Lam, urged police to address street-level prostitution instead.
