Earlier this week, Lord Sumption, a former Justice of the Supreme Court docket, mentioned the actions of Derbyshire Police “shamed our policing traditions”.
The pressure was additionally criticised by former Chancellor George Osborne over the transfer, and for placing black dye into the water at a Derbyshire magnificence spot.
Talking to the BBC, Derbyshire’s chief constable, Peter Goodman, mentioned the choice to deploy a drone within the Peak District got here after supermarkets in villages had been emptied and wonder spots had been inundated with sightseers.
“Some forces might be doing not sufficient, maybe, some forces have in all probability gone a bit too far and a few sit within the center. Some would say we in Derbyshire have gone too far,” he mentioned.
“I genuinely consider that we’ve not as a result of we are attempting to do every little thing by way of dialog and clarification.”
In a later assertion, he added: “Following studies that there was an unprecedented variety of individuals, most of whom we consider to not be from Derbyshire, visiting the favored magnificence spot Curbar Edge, our drone crew had been instructed to take footage to ascertain the extent of the exercise.
“The drone was within the air for a matter of minutes and captured photos of people who weren’t identifiable.
“The first function of my officers is the preservation of life. In putting a brief 90 second clip on the pressure’s social media accounts it reached an viewers far wider than our self-same messages that had gone fully unreported by nationwide media till that time.”
He additionally challenged criticism that the constabulary had put black dye into Buxton’s ‘Blue Lagoon’.
“The dyeing of the water is one thing that has taken place together with the native council, the landowner and the help of the group, for greater than seven years – and is definitely not because of the coronavirus outbreak,” he mentioned.