The objective is to identify the abusive use of drones, against pilots who do not comply with the regulations or use their device for criminal purposes. And that seems to work: after a test phase in 2024, this unprecedented initiative convinces the Hasselttoise police. The system could be installed throughout the country.
Nivelles prison: an inmate uses a drone to try to escape
Geolocate the pilot
Designed by Skeydrone, a mixed company between the Belgian Air Navigation Service Service Provider and Brussels airport, the surveillance system is able to detect the location of a pilot, that of a drone, its flight route, as well as the device identification number. A location and an identification impossible to be carried out by patrols on the ground, assures the Hasselt police. The system is also connected to a database which contains requests for authorization to take off drones.
However, these data is used retroactively, specifies the head of the police service service, Tom Hannes: “We do not carry out any proactive monitoring of the sky. Real -time monitoring is only done during mass events (Pukkelpop for example, editor’s note) or in sensitive areas, such as the surroundings of the prison. “
The Belgian Navy is looking for new recruits to pilot drones: “People who are in front of their PlayStation interest us”
Control the sky
“Our police services are responsible for monitoring developments in our world that changes quickly”confirms the bourgmestre. “Illegal drone overflights are multiplying. Very efficient technologies allow our services to react quickly in case of nuisance. It helps reduce incidents to the minimum minimum, offering an immediately to a current problem.”
Dorien Baens, spokesperson for the Hasselt police, abounds in this direction. “In the future, the danger will come from heaven, it is not only on earth. Each year, we receive a hundred complaints from citizens about dronesin most cases they are illegal overflights. Some drone pilots do not know drone legislation (maximum authorized altitude, prohibited flying areas, etc.). To respond to these breaches, we have planned to organize a study day next year which aims to better inform drones pilots about their rights and their duties, she said.
Fines and seizure
During the first three weeks of commissioning last July 244 drone flights were detected in Hasselt and its surroundings. Among them, 168 were linked to emergency services (firefighters, police …). But we have identified many illegal drones. Twelve drones exceeded the maximum authorized altitude of 120 meters. We even identified a case that is out of the ordinary: a drone has reached an altitude of more than 400 meters …
How to sanction any illegal drone overflies? When the pilot is spotted and a offense is noted, the police draw up a report which is transmitted to the Limburg prosecutor’s office. In consultation with the Directorate General of Aviation (SPF Mobility), it can verbalize the offender. In addition to an administrative fine, the drone will be seized for a determined period. The system that detects illegal drones also benefits pilots of police drones. When they intervene, they can see in real time the presence of other drones in airspace, thereby reducing the risk of collision.
Increased soldiers, armed drones, autonomous weapons: how artificial intelligence is transforming the battlefields