Why you may see more drones in Haute-Garonne
A recent decision has expanded the use of aerial monitoring in the department
The objective is to provide law enforcement with a wider-angle view of the affected areas
Oleg Kopyov/Shutterstock.
Eighteen communes in Haute-Garonne have been granted permission to use drones in an attempt to combat the urban rodeos phenomenon.
Urban rodeos are illegal gatherings involving motorbikes, cars or other motorised vehicles, where participants perform dangerous driving manoeuvres such as stunts, speed runs or drifting, often in industrial or urban areas.
They are difficult to prevent or intercept, as they are often organised in secrecy with the exact location typically only shared at the last minute.
These events are frequently filmed and shared on social media for attention. However they pose significant risks not only to participants, but also to spectators and nearby residents.
Drone-based video surveillance has been authorised in specific sectors across the following 18 communes: Toulouse, Blagnac, Colomiers, Tournefeuille, Auterive, Aussonne, Beauzelle, Cornebarrieu, Cugnaux, Deyme, Léguevin, Mondonville, Muret, Pibrac, Portet-sur-Garonne, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, Seysses, and Villeneuve-Tolosane.
The use of drones is limited to the specific sectors identified as being particularly affected within these communes and is carried out by law enforcement under a prefectural decree.
The decision was taken by Pierre-André Durand, prefect of the Occitanie region and prefect of Haute-Garonne, with the Haute-Garonne Prefecture noting that some 25,000 rodeo incidents have been recorded nationally.
According to the prefecture, drone surveillance has already enabled several arrests in recent operations, leading to legal proceedings and the impounding of vehicles used in these offences. The objective now is to provide law enforcement with a wider-angle view of the affected areas, allowing them to identify gatherings more effectively, and intervene more quickly.
