FORENSIC USE OF REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT AT THE BRAZILIAN FEDERAL POLICE

FORENSIC USE OF REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT AT THE BRAZILIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Guilherme Henrique Braga de Miranda

The most frequent application of RPAs in forensic examinations at the Brazilian Federal Police is in environmental issues. The reports examined were classified into 8 categories, according to the subject treated: Irregular Use of Soil (48), Mineral Extraction (15), Engineering (4), Aeronautical Accidents (3), Pollution (2), Forest Fire (2), Crime Scene (2), Marijuana Crop (1). The first forensic reports using RPAs were registered in 2013.

The main objective of this research was to understand the fast evolution of the adoption of airborne imaging devices to improve the quality of forensic reports made by the Brazilian Federal Police. We used the national forensic database (SISCRIM), which contains more than 20 million records and over 720 thousand electronic documents produced by the Brazilian Federal Police’s forensic scientists.

We conducted a full survey of the forensic reports on RPAs produced in all Brazil, until late February 2017 February. 77 documents were found (66 full forensic reports and 11 technical documents), produced in 12 forensic units. A single local unit (UTEC of Uberlândia/Minas Gerais) was responsible for the production of 37 documents (48% of the total).  The forensic unit of the State of Minas Gerais, based in Belo Horizonte, produced 14 documents (18% of the total). The forensic unit of the State of Pernambuco, based in Recife, produced 12 RPA related forensic documents (16% of the total). The National Institute of Criminalistics produced 4 documents (5% of the total).

Most of the reports (40/77) were produced with data acquired by a fixed wing RPA. 27 reports used multirotor RPAs, and the remaining 8 did not specify the device. It is worth mentioning that 2 reports were found that used R/C Boats to collect the data.

The Federal Police Forensic Science Body is composed of a central unit (the National Institute of Criminalistics), in Brasilia, and 51 decentralized units: 27 in State capitals, and 24 in strategic cities throughout Brazil.

The forensic scientists collect and analyze evidence from crime scenes and other sources to provide official reports to be used for investigation and prosecution. The objective is determining whether a crime has occurred and, if so, who was responsible for it and how it happened.

The interest shown in this technology and equipment suggests a common trend in the Forensic Sciences. RPAs offer images with superior resolution, ease of operation and low cost. Fast dissemination of their use is expected.

Keywords: RPA, Drone, Forensic Report, Brazilian Federal Police.