Prison and jail guards in Quebec say they are concerned about a steadily-increasing number of drones making deliveries to inmates.
The correction agents union said that in the past year, close to 90 drones were captured at facilities across the province -- 47 of them at Bordeaux Jail alone.
In 2015 guards only spotted 15 of the low-flying devices throughout Quebec.
Guards have seized cell phones, sim cards, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs form the drones.
“People used to throw tennis balls, now they're using drones to deliver the goods,” said Andre Durocher of the Montreal police.
Last year, police seized two drones close to jail before their deliveries were completed.
The SAPSCQ-CSN union believes that the drones that are caught are just a small fraction of the total number successfully making deliveries to inmates.
Residents say a field just west of Bordeaux Jail has become an airstrip for drones – some say they saw two to three people sending drones into the courtyard and bringing them back.
“I see strangers parked here,” said one resident. “They go, back in, come out, they stay for hours. I don’t know what they’re doing. It’s weird.”
The union is asking people who live near jails and prisons to call 9-1-1 if they spot anyone flying drones near the buildings.
Guards are also asking officials to start implementing ways to block drones -- either by jamming radio frequencies, or installing nets and grilled rooftops to prevent anything from coming into jail yards.
The public security ministry promises an action plan focused on physical barriers – which will also help prevent more helicopter escapes.
