By Kurtis Archer | 2025-12-30

Space technologies are revolutionizing the policing industry, with new tools and resources giving law enforcement agencies space-based data that helps to combat organized crime and other illegal activities.

Around the world, agencies that were once reliant on traditional ground-based surveillance are incorporating satellite imagery and remote sensing data from unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) into their operations.

The integration of space technologies into policing marks a profound shift in how activities such as illegal deforestation and fishing operations are detected, observed and addressed, giving law enforcement a powerful "eye in the sky."

High-resolution optical and thermal imaging tools enable the surveillance of vast geographic areas and the detection and monitoring of unexpected activity and criminal behavior, regardless of weather and lighting conditions.

The ability to leverage space-based data transforms reactive policing into proactive investigation and action. Yet some worry about privacy concerns.

Detailed ground observation

Modern commercial satellites can now achieve panchromatic resolutions of one meter or less, enabling detailed ground observation of a quality that was once the exclusive domain of military reconnaissance operations.

This technology enables the observation and policing of vast geographic areas, real-time detection of activity, and the forensic analysis of evidence.

Unlike CCTV or short-range aerial surveillance, satellites can cover millions of square kilometers per day, monitoring remote regions or hard-to-access areas.

This is critical in combating criminal activity such as illegal deforestation, which is largely undetectable from the ground.

A scientific article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2021 showed that in the Amazon region of Loreto, Peru, satellite data and smartphones have reduced the level of deforestation.

Local communities using remote sensing data were able to reduce deforestation by over 50% in the first year, compared to communities in the control group.

With constellations of satellites, some providers can offer revisit rates that approach "real time" monitoring. This allows agencies to track the movement of vehicles, detect sudden land use changes, and observe activity patterns.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing devastates marine ecosystems, but satellite data allows authorities to both predict and track criminal vessels in international waters and active fishing areas.

Satellite imagery also can serve as powerful evidence in court. Footage can establish timelines, confirm criminal operations infrastructure, and document the scale of environmental crimes.

Law enforcement in various countries has used satellite imagery to locate the remains of murder victims, and to document evidence of atrocities, such as mass graves, in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Sudan.

Reviewing past and present imagery can reveal changes in terrain or vegetation, and can expose drug and human trafficking routes.

Ethical considerations

Persistent and high-resolution surveillance from space inevitably brings with it significant ethical questions and challenges in the judicial system.

The main concerns revolve around the right to privacy and a potential "Big Brother" surveillance state.

In many jurisdictions, including the United States, the legal landscape for these surveillance technologies is still evolving.

US courts have regularly ruled that surveillance of public areas from air and space does not violate the US Constitution's Fourth Amendment, arguing that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for activity that is openly exposed.

Yet as satellite image resolution has advanced to the point where intimate details can be seen through windows, this precedent is increasingly being challenged.

In the Penn State Law Review in 2019, a team of researchers warned that left unchecked, satellite data can be as dangerous as it is useful and as threatening to national security and civil liberties as it is helpful to the national economy.

They pointed to a critical need for increased transparency from both government agencies and private companies that collect and sell surveillance data.

And they noted that public disclosure of contracts between law enforcement agencies and commercial space imagery providers is essential, as are clear policies on data retention and sharing.

An updated legal framework is also needed to define, for example, at what point space-based surveillance crosses the line into privacy, the research team said.

As satellite data transcends national borders, international cooperation and agreements are becoming increasingly necessary, experts say.

And while space technologies are a critical advancement in modern policing, the benefits of better crime-fighting must be weighed against compromising privacy.