Sky-high drone pilot reflects on success of Channel 4 TV show

14 September 2023

A chief pilot says he’s “immensely proud” of the West Midlands Police Drone unit after it was featured in a major TV documentary series.

Keith Bennett said Channel 4’s Sky Coppers has helped to increase the public’s understanding of how drones are used in policing and of how effective they can be.

More than 1m viewers watched the first of the six hour-long episodes when it was aired earlier this year.

Keith said he’s been amazed by the public reaction, and said it wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the drone team.

A male police officer, dressed in a black uniform, stands in front of a police car

West Midlands Police Federation member Keith Bennett.

“The first episode attracted more than 1m viewers, which is fantastic,” he said. “My focus has always been on sharing what we do with the public and what better platform to do that?

“We’ve got 19,000 followers on Twitter, but to be able to share what we do with 1 million viewers on that first night was amazing.

“I was immensely proud of the team because they’re the ones who have made this happen and is a shining example of their tenacity.

“Drones in the police was a concept a couple of years ago. The team has worked incredibly hard to turn that concept into a reality with drones now firmly embedded into everyday frontline policing within the West Midlands.

“The more and more we used drones the greater the demand became. The team really stepped up to the challenge and is a testament to our success.

“Most pilots on the team came from a drone background, had their own drone or were really into their technology.

“If you speak to them, I’m sure they’ll say they love their job.”

The Channel 4 cameras were embedded with the drone unit for a number of months. It allowed the programme to show the highs and the lows of life in the unit.

Keith, a West Midlands Police Federation member, said: “Sky Coppers was about showing the human side of police officers, and that’s exactly what was shown.

“The cameras were rolling 24/7 so they captured conversations between the drone crews and there’s some really nice human elements and some really nice interactions with the public.

“It was a proud moment watching. I hope it came across as really transparent in what we do.”

A team of police officers stand in front of a police car with a drone overhead

Keith said that interest in the unit’s work has been increasing from not only the public but also from other forces since the series launched.

“We’re getting a lot of interest from other forces looking at using drones,” he continued. “We’ve got forces asking if we can help and support them.

“It’s been great for us. The majority of responses we’ve had have been really positive and speaking to the public about what we do has been key from the beginning.

“Back in 2017 before we flew drones operationally, we did so much work getting out there.

“It’s really important when you’re proposing to use new innovative technology that the public knows why you’re using it, and to allay some of their fears because there have been negative connotations around other uses of drones.”

Keith said he hopes that the series has shown the public that they are ‘not just snooping in back gardens’.

He explained: “I hope people see that everything we do is directed. Every request we receive we triage. Is it the right thing to do? Is it reasonable and proportionate to use a drone in those circumstances and is it lawful?

“If a job comes through we’ve got to make sure it’s either preventing or detecting crime, saving life and limb, and in the majority of police incidents we can.”

Sky Coppers is available to watch on Channel 4’s on-demand service.