Someone is watching us

While driving in traffic or crossing the street on a pedestrian path, someone might be watching us. In fact, instead of saying "might be," it is more accurate to say "someone is watching us." Security forces have also begun to benefit from the technology that is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. In short, they are not just watching criminals; they are watching us, too. How? With drones, of course. The 'Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Bureau' established within the General Directorate of Security and the Gendarmerie General Command even conducts drone-assisted inspections—and operations—depending on weather conditions.

Personnel working in units established within the Provincial Police Departments and Provincial Gendarmerie Commands across all 81 provinces take part in operations or inspections at the request of the branches that issue the tasking. The official website of the Kırklareli Provincial Police Department summarizes the duties of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Bureau as follows:

"In order to ensure traffic order and safety and to prevent loss of life and property, unmanned aerial vehicles affiliated with our Kırklareli Provincial Police Department conduct aerial traffic inspections with drones for the safety of our citizens on all highways within the police jurisdiction. This is done to prevent violations that cause traffic accidents, such as waiting inappropriately on the right shoulder or verge observed on highways and intercity roads, improper lane usage by heavy vehicles, dangerous lane changing, weaving through traffic, faulty overtaking, tailgating, not wearing seatbelts, using a mobile phone while driving, and stopping/parking on the highway except in mandatory situations."

They have actually specified where they use drones in this text as well. Are you talking on your phone while driving because there are no police around, or are you weaving through traffic to get ahead of a few cars, or are you entering the emergency lane because there are no cameras or police? Well, I suggest you don't do it now. You will get caught by drone-operating police and receive a fine. Even if you object when caught, you are shown the footage. As a result, you cannot escape the fine.

In recent years, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Bureau teams have also become an indispensable part of operations. Drone units now support all kinds of operations, such as those against organized crime groups, theft, and terrorism, by filming fleeing suspects from the air and notifying ground teams via radio, ensuring the suspects are apprehended. It is evident that drones are used across Turkey in all operations, such as those named 'Kafes' (Cage), which were announced by Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya.

During the pandemic, drone-assisted inspections continued without interruption. One of the unforgettable drone-captured moments that made the news was when 3 young people who climbed onto the roof of a building in Sultanbeyli were caught by a police drone. The 3 young people, who could not go out due to the pandemic, were caught by the police drone while sitting on the roof of their building, but they had not noticed the drone. The police, who sounded the siren from the drone, later announced, "Young people, what are you doing on the roof? The police drone is speaking. There is no social distancing either," and these moments of the young people being caught became a trending topic on social media. For example, drones have started to be used in almost all operations by the Istanbul Police. But the most notable is that the Istanbul Traffic Inspection Branch teams conduct all their inspections with drones. They track both drivers who violate traffic rules and pedestrians crossing the street with drones. In short, 'someone is watching us'—and that someone is the police and the gendarmerie.