MOREE Plains Shire mayor Susannah Pearse reminds Moree shire residents feedback to a survey regarding the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems being trialled locally closes at midnight tonight.

The drone system, a pilot program and Australian first, has been assisting Moree police manage crime since February.

It was rolled out to tackle crime, speed up response times in emergency situations, assist search and rescue operations, motor vehicle collisions and reduce risks to police by allowing them to make safer and more informed decisions.

“We need the survey to reflect the views of our local community – the people who live, work and run businesses here – and the people who have seen and been affected by our challenges with crime and community safety,” Cr Pearse said.

“If Moree residents haven’t already filled out the survey, I urge you do so today. It only takes five minutes,” she said.

The survey on the drone trial in Moree can be accessed HERE and is open until 11.59pm tonight, Friday, June 12.

Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan said the trial has been positive for the Moree community and feedback will assist in future training and development of drone programs.

“The use of drones when it comes to crimes and emergency situations in Moree has already been effective in the short time it has been in use,” he said.

“The drones are solely used for crime and are operated remotely by POL AIR from Bankstown airport.

The RPAS drones are operated remotely by POL AIR from Bankstown airport.

“Once deployed, they can get across town very quickly and, since the trial began, stolen vehicles have been recovered, violent offenders tracked and arrested, and they have assisted in break-and-enters, and fires.

“The community can now provide feedback to improve the operations of and policies on drone operations to help shape how they will be used in the future.”

Police have been using the drones since January.

The system, PolAir-Remote, was officially launched in February by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley.

Police say the drones have helped track offenders fleeing on foot, locate stolen vehicles, support officers during major operations, and spot fires so fire crews could be notified and respond.

At the official launch earlier this year, Commissioner Lanyon said the trial was not about watching people for no reason.

“This is not about surveillance or looking at individuals,” he said.

“We want to keep all regional communities safe and by running this trial, we can determine whether to scale up the program.”

Survey results will be considered alongside community expectations, operational needs and Civil Aviation Safety Authority rules.

The survey on the drone trial in Moree can be accessed HERE and is open until 11.59pm tonight, Friday, June 12.