Drones (FOI ref: 1903A/24)
Request
1) The budget of your force.
2) If your force has a dedicated team for drone usage.
3) The number of drones your force possesses.
4) The brand(s) of these drones.
5) The number of cases/situations these drones were deployed in from 2022 to 2023.
6) The types of cases/situations these drones were deployed for.
7) If drones have been deployed in tandem with each other.
8) If the usage of a drone swarm is being researched or otherwise investigated for use.
Drones, as defined by the Civil Aviation Authority, relate to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for the purpose of the above requests.
Clarification
I am interested in the current financial year.
Further Clarification
In relation to question 5, we offered to search for the number of incidents attended, however it did not include where they were assigned but were cancelled. You confirmed that you were interested in this information, and I would like you to search for this information if possible.
Response
We can confirm that relevant information is held by West Midlands Police. However, while the majority of the information is attached to this email, I am not required to release all of the information requested. Please find attached a redacted document.
Reasons for decision
The withheld information is exempt by virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 23(5) Information relating to the Security bodies;
Section 24(2) National Security;
Section 31(3) Law enforcement;
These exemptions and explanatory notes are shown here:
Freedom of information | College of Policing
In line with the above, I am required to complete a Prejudice Test/Public Interest Test (PIT) on disclosure. Please find this PIT attached (1903A_PIT).