Belleville Police Service acquired a commercial drone in June 2018 and in 16 months had deployed it 31 times on 177 individual mission flights for a total distance of 105 kilometres while using it for cases including:
- homicide
- missing person
- arson
and at major events:
- spring flooding
- Quinte West when the Trent River overflowed its banks at Glen Miller.
On November 25, 2019, Belleville Police Service Board approved $37,000 to buy a new higher resolution, 30x zoom, thermal-imaging (infrared) DJI M210 drone in the capital budget. It has a maximum payload of 1.45 kg, 24 minute maximum flight time, a maximum speed of 36 km/h and an estimate range of 14.4 km.
From deploying Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) drones to maintaining breath-testing equipment, members work diligently to ensure
2024 Annual Report
their skills and resources remain operational and ready for deployment.
The drone has been used to
- locate 2 men in January 2024
- locate a man struck by a VIA Rail train in May 2025
