A ROBBERY incident was reported in a gasoline station in Baliok, Toril District, and immediately responding policemen from the Toril Police Station launched a drone that flew towards the crime scene. From above, the drone was able to track two fleeing suspects onboard a motorcycle. The information relayed from the drone enabled police to successfully intercept and capture the suspects. This was, however, just a robbery response simulation exercise (Simex) held recently by the Davao City Police Office.
The robbery response Simex in Baliok using drones was one of the highlights during the launch of the DCPO's Eye in the Sky Patrol.
The Eye in the Sky Patrol initiative utilizes aerial drones to enhance situational awareness for police units who are responding to incidents, like crimes and other emergencies.
Police Colonel Mannan Muarip, OIC of the DCPO, said that the drone technology will complement the CCTVs in place all over the city.
“Meron na tayong CCTV dito sa city meron din tayong drone sa taas. Pag may immediate scenario or situations that needs to be addressed, yun yung gagamitin,” PCol. Muarip said.
(We have CCTVs here in the city, we also have drones above. If there is an immediate scenario or situations that needs to be addressed, we will use them.)
The DCPO chief said they have an initial 24 drones that will be used for Eye in the Sky Patrol. There is also a pool of 62 drone pilots from DCPO trained to fly the drones.
“We have already trained 62 drone pilot operators for that purpose, and we will again continue to capacitate because we will include members of Task Force Davao, na magagamit din nila (where they can also use drones),” Muarip said.
For the drone pilot training, Muarip is targeting an initial batch of 10 personnel from the Task Force Davao, a Philippine Army unit tasked to maintain peace and security in Davao City.
Muarip says he is requesting funding from the city government to add more drones and also to build a command center where information and footage from the flying drones will be relayed into an integrated facility.
He said that once the ideal number of drones will be provided to them, each mobile patrol will have drones that they can use.
“If you are a mobile patroller and you are in a line beat area and may nangyari doon sa kabila at least 24 areas na adjacent sa iyo, di mo na kelangan tumakbo doon and kailangan mo lang magpalipad ka, obserbahan mo kung saan nangyari… you call another team to respond to that area,” Muarip said.
(If an incident happens in an adjacent area. You don’t need to run over there and what you must do is to fly a drone, observe where it is happening, and call another team to respond to that area.)
The Eye in the Sky is in line with the principles of DAVAO, which stands for Discipline, Action, Virtue, Accountability and Order.
According to Muarip, the drone technology initiative reflects their commitment to innovation and operational excellence.
“Through the Eye in the Sky Patrol, we are not just expanding our operational reach – we are heightening our capacity to safeguard lives and maintain peace across the city,” the DCPO acting chief added. PIA DAVAO
