The “friendly skies” of the LA Sheriff’s Dept
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known
as drone aircraft, are about to be launched for the first time by the police in
Los Angeles.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drone aircraft, are about to be launched for the first time by the police in Los Angeles.
UAVs have long been used by the military in war zones such as Iraq or Afghanistan. But the technology has been adapted for domestic use and could revolutionise the way law enforcement agencies carry out surveillance and rescue operations.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has been experimenting with a drone called SkySeer, which it intends to put into service later this month.
Commander Heal is quick to point out that it is not their intention to launch ‘big brother’ style surveillance operations.
“There’s no place in an urban environment that you can go to right now that you’re not being looked at with a video camera and you have nothing to fear from your own government - you are being watched by your fellow citizens,” he says.
There are a lot of “fellow citizens” I don’t trust to watch over me.
Posted: Mon - June 19, 2006 at 07:10 AM