Can Police Be Trusted With Drones? [View all]

[Redfairen]

Around the country, a small but growing number of localities are considering the use of domestic drones—aircraft that are smaller, lighter, and cheaper (though not much less controversial) than what the military uses in Afghanistan. Police departments could outfit drones with infrared sensors that see through walls, facial recognition software, or technology that intercepts calls and emails. Yet the the federal government doesn't do much to regulate how drones can use such technologies to collect information on private citizens.

Privacy activists are trying to put pressure on state and federal regulators by holding protests in this liberal and tech-savvy Bay Area county, which could become the first local government in California to buy a drone. "We oppose the use of public resources to surveil and suppress our communities," said Michael Segal, an attorney with Alameda County Against Drones, a group whose dozens of members wore bright pink "Say No To Drones" stickers. "We want a drone-free zone."

Last year, Congress passed a law mandating that the Federal Aviation Administration open up US airspace to drones, and the FAA made it easier for law enforcement and other "public agencies" to get a drone permit. Records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) indicate that at least 81 public entities—including 17 sheriff's and police departments—have petitioned the agency for the right to fly drones.

Alameda County's Sheriff Ahern argues that buying something like a $100,000, three-pound "Scout" surveillance drone should be a no-brainer for the department. It would cost far more to purchase and operate a helicopter, and the drone can sample plumes of toxic chemicals in the event of a release, or use its infrared scanner to detect wildfires, or find lost children. "I think this is the future of technology," he said, "and we can work together to make sure that this works appropriately."


http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/meet-california-sheriff-who-wants-use-drones