Three police officers become certified drone operators |08 November 2022
Three police officers who have just completed the second phase of a training in drone surveillance, received their certificate yesterday during a short ceremony at the Seychelles Police headquarters in Victoria.
The three ‒ Sergeant Julinio Nourrice, Corporal Yanick Emmanuel and Corporal Trevor Rose who was not the present at the ceremony, had followed an intensive training on how to operate an ‘unmanned aerial vehicle’ (UAV) or drone, at the Defence Forces Academy since 2021. It included the general operation of the equipment as well as all its security aspects.
It was a follow-up to a first training back in December 2020, which was done with the help of the former National Institute of Science Technology and Innovation (Nisti), presently the division of science, technology and innovation (DSTI).
When addressing the recipients, commissioner of police Ted Barbe said the training was another accomplishment for the Seychelles police force.
“Drone as a modern equipment, helps our officers to do search and rescue when people are reported missing, for reconnaissance mission to ensure the safety of our officers in certain areas, for surveillance purposes at events, in traffic and in difficult terrain,” said commissioner of police Barbe.
He thanked all their partners, particularly DSTI for providing the training and loaning the police the equipment for the duration of the course, as well as the officers from the Defence Forces Academy.
Speaking on behalf of DSTI, director general Xavier Estico said the organisation was keen to collaborate with the police department in upgrading their technological capacity and capability in all areas critical to their roles and responsibilities.
“As you build capacity and capability of your unit, you would need to be proactive and keeping abreast of the advancement in this field so that you may be able to source the relevant technological upgrades to render your unit more effective. Our division remains keen to work with you on this journey and we hope to continue to nurture and strengthen our existing collaboration,” said Mr Estico.
Speaking on behalf of his other colleagues, Sergeant Julinio Nourrice said the training has been fulfilling and the use of drone has revolutionised the way they do their work.
He said although it was a new field and an intense training that demanded, they persevered to complete both with the help of their instructors.
“I can proudly say that the drone has been an immense help to the police department in several operations, but mostly in search and rescue. A typical example was the recent use of drone at Ros Sodyer, Takamaka, to save a person’s life. This is a clear example of how new technology is efficient for the development of our police force,” said sergeant Nourrice.
He said hopefully more officers would be able to follow similar courses in future and more drones will be made available to carry out their duties.
It should be noted that two other officers have been able to follow training in the use of unmanned aerial vehicle in the United Arab Emirates bringing the total number of certified drone operators to five.
Yesterday’s ceremony was also attended by the Minister responsible for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, and head of visible policing Superintendent Antoine Denousse.
Patsy Canaya
