The UK Home Office is exploring electronic forcefields to stop drug drones from entering prisons, enhancing security measures.
Guernsey: The Home Office is looking into using electronic forcefields to stop drug drones from getting into prisons. This tech is already working at Les Nicolles Prison.
It can detect drones flying within 50 meters. So far, it has stopped drugs, phones, and other contraband from entering. Pretty impressive, right?
The forcefield works by blocking signals between the drone and its operator. This makes the drone either drop or return to the operator. They’ve had a perfect success rate so far.
John De Carteret, the prison governor, is chatting with the Home Office about making this tech more common. He’s worried about the potential for firearms getting into prisons.
He believes that publicizing their success has helped deter attempts to smuggle in contraband. It’s all about making people aware of the measures in place.
Sources from the Ministry of Justice mentioned that the Home Office is reviewing anti-drone tech but isn’t actively considering forcefields yet. They want to keep their plans under wraps to avoid helping criminals.
Interestingly, the forcefield doesn’t mess with nearby Wi-Fi, so people can still connect without issues. Les Nicolles managed to use this tech by updating the Wireless Telegraphy Act.
According to the law, drone operators are responsible for any injuries caused by their drones. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick is pushing for quick action to tackle this issue.
He insists that proven tech to disable drones should be fast-tracked. The rise of drones is now seen as a national security threat.
However, a government spokesperson said they’re already enforcing no-fly zones and working with police to combat illegal drone use around prisons.
