Global Commercial UAS for Law Enforcement and Public Safety Growth Opportunities

Technological advances and artificial intelligence capabilities in advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drone platforms are among the main drivers decreasing the cost of drone programs and boosting their demand from law enforcement agencies globally. Law enforcement and public safety agencies can use drones for various purposes, such as search and rescue operations or crime scene photography and reconstruction. Their use offers a cost-effective solution to manned aircraft for many applications, which can be up to 10 times more expensive to deploy. As such, public authorities’ adoption of commercial drone models is growing rapidly due to increasing platform capabilities and decreasing costs. While the benefits of UAS are many, their implementation remains difficult. Public safety agencies often struggle with adopting drone programs, which can be prohibitively costly. This involves not only the costs of unit purchase, but also training, program administration, data management, and storage. Moreover, fears around citizen privacy and safety could risk agents facing severe public backlash for the use of drone platforms if the community’s concerns are not addressed beforehand. Most importantly, the lack of a clear regulatory framework guiding drone usage by law enforcement authorities makes officers reluctant to implement drone programs in their respective departments until restrictions are eased, and bureaucratic processes for permit approvals are simplified. This report discusses the importance of drone platforms for law enforcement agencies globally and details growth opportunities for UAS industry participants considering expansion into this market segment. Other relevant report highlights include market drivers, restraints, main company profiles, and trends defining the market. Information for this study has been gathered from existing reports in the Frost & Sullivan database, academic papers, specialized drone industry magazines, and reports from relevant research organizations. Additional insights were collected through interviews with industry participants, including representatives from the manufacturing, software, and service market segments.