In Skåne, they have mainly been used in Malmö.
At the Rosengård riots, for example, they were used so that suspects in the riots could be punished and other suspects could be removed from the investigation because they were innocent.
In most cases, they are used to search for missing persons, but the police have also used them during Operation Rimfrost (a police operation in 2019, aimed at gang crime).
- It was part of the crime prevention work.
Then it is a duty to provide information, which we have signposted with, says Anders Wiberg, police superintendent at the police in the southern region.
"Should not feel monitored"
The police see the drones, or UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) as they are also called, as a complement to the police's operational and crime prevention work.
The drones' cameras must comply with the Camera Surveillance Act and the vehicle itself is regulated by the Swedish Transport Agency's laws.
But it should not be seen as a general surveillance.
- The UAS first and foremost creates security for citizens.
It is a way to help the police in the preventive and operational work, then it is important that we are very careful with balances of interests, when and how we use them.
You should not feel monitored in that way, says Anders Wiberg.