Drones Delivering Drugs Surge in Prisons Across England and Wales
Prisons in England and Wales face a sharp rise in drone incidents delivering drugs, raising serious security concerns
Drones, Drugs, Prisons, England, Wales, Security
London: Prisons in England and Wales are dealing with a huge spike in drone deliveries of drugs. The head of a Commons committee is saying they need more funding to tackle this issue.
According to a report, there were 1,296 drone incidents in just ten months, which is a massive jump from previous years. It’s like a tenfold increase since 2020!
Andy Slaughter, the Labour chair of the Commons justice committee, is sounding the alarm. He believes these numbers show that prison security is really lacking.
He pointed out that if the Prison Service was doing its job, we wouldn’t see such a rise in these incidents. It’s frustrating to think that organized crime is outsmarting those meant to keep prisons safe.
With around 130 drone incidents each month, experts predict that by the end of 2024, we could see over 1,550 incidents. And since many of these deliveries happen at night, the actual number might be even higher.
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, has said that the rise in drone use is his biggest worry. He’s concerned it could lead to more serious issues, like firearms being used in turf wars.
In fact, a recent report about HMP Garth in Lancashire mentioned that inmates compared the number of drones flying in at night to an airport. That’s wild!
Gangs are even recruiting skilled drone pilots to help with these deliveries. The drones are pretty advanced, costing thousands of pounds and capable of carrying several kilograms of contraband.
Despite new laws making it illegal to fly drones near prisons, the problem keeps growing. Those caught could face hefty fines or even prison time, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping the deliveries.
Some prisons are trying to use technology to detect drones, but not many can actually stop them from getting close. The state of many prisons makes it easier for inmates to pull off these deliveries.
Recently, the Commons justice committee started looking into how to tackle the drug problem in prisons, especially with the rise in drone deliveries.
Slaughter has called these drone incursions a serious security breach that needs more funding to fix. He’s worried that money might be taken from other important areas like rehabilitation and staffing.
He emphasized that securing prisoners should be the top priority. His inquiry will also explore whether technology like signal blockers could help keep drones out of prison airspace.
He noted that if this was happening at an airport or military base, it would be addressed much more quickly. A government spokesperson acknowledged the issue, saying it reflects the crisis in prisons that the new government is facing.
They’re working with police to combat the illegal use of drones and tackle the drug problem in jails.