TX - Arlington PD using unmanned drones.

[Irish]

Arlington PD using unmanned drones. (http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Arlington-PD-Testing-Unmanned-Aircraft-124680969.html) I see this as benefiting law enforcement in several ways and possibly saving lives but I also see this in an Orwellian 1984 way as well.

Anybody ever notice that most of the new LE toys are being tested overseas in our different war theaters? Drones, LRAD cannons, etc. Please discuss the actual drones, the technology and the possibilities of how they'll be used rather than denigrating our LEOs.

[BrianS]

Article says the unmanned drones have to stay within the pilot's line of sight. I wonder if the pilot can be a passenger in another aircraft loitering above the drone? Otherwise that would seem to severely limit the area the drone could be used in at any given time. Also wonder if they can be heard from the ground with an altitude ceiling of 400 feet imposed (by FAA regulation or what?) on it's operation.

If they are able to detect people with thermographic, listen in on conversations, and have a wide area they can operate in at an altitude at which they can not be heard is when they will be scary to me. Would they need a warrant to "patrol" with these and see what they see and hear "in public" where there isn't a reasonable expectation of privacy?

[Irish]

The line of sight thing is only during testing I believe. From the article:

The department has been testing and evaluating two battery-operated, remote-controlled aircraft over a small, restricted airspace near Lake Arlington Dam, away from populated areas.

The aircraft are flown only for daylight operations and within a small, restricted airspace. The aircraft have to remain within the pilot's line of sight and fly 400 feet above the ground level.

Then later on goes to say:

Bowman said police hope to move into Phase 1A by September, which, with FAA approval, would expand the airspace in which the unmanned aircraft can fly.

I don't think there's any sort of grand conspiracy or anything like that but I am curious as to how these will be used in the future.

[BrianS]

The line of sight thing is only during testing I believe.

The use of the words "have to" is what made me think there was a technological and/or regulatory restriction. Could just be poor choice of words by the writer.



I don't think there's any sort of grand conspiracy or anything like that...

I don't believe in a grand conspiracy either, I just believe that government is a monster and ours has slipped the shackles placed on it by our Constitution. It's in it's nature to seek more power and grow in size and scope.

Anyways, interesting read. Yeah I bet it can be used for good things, but easily bad things as well. The article pointed out they would only be used for things helicopters are used for currently, but also that they only have a fraction of the operating cost. If that is the case you could own many times the number of drones and mission creep and subsequent invasion of privacy becomes much more of an issue.

[montanadave]

When they start equipping 'em with Hellfire missiles is when I say "Goddammit, these motherf*ckers have just about...hey, what's that flyin' over my hou

[Magic_Salad0892]

This is pretty cool actually.

Then again... I've always thought of LEOs as friendly.

[Moose-Knuckle]

A miniature UAV would be much more cost efficient to a Police Department that has a dwindling annual budget from their economically challenge city coffers than manning, training, equipping, and fueling a helicopter unit. Air assets have been utilized by LE agencies for decades.

[Redmanfms]

I honestly don't know what to think about this. Police have been using aircraft for investigative purposes for decades. I'm not really comfortable with it though. In VA it's been used for reconnaissance to find stills and marijuana grows, basically granting law enforcement the ability to "search" properties they'd otherwise have needed a warrant to search if on foot. Granted, if it can be seen from the sky it is in "plain view," but I don't like it.