Groups concerned over arming of domestic drones
May 25, 2012
Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas said his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone, CBS DC reports.
“Drone manufacturers are also considering offering police the option of arming these remote-controlled aircraft with (nonlethal for now) weapons like rubber bullets, Tasers, and tear gas,” the ACLU says on their website.
Catherine Crump, staff attorney for the ACLU, feels one of the biggest problems with the use of drones is the remote location where they are operated from. “When the officer is on the scene, they have full access to info about what has transpired there. An officer at a remote location far away does not have the same level of access.”
The ACLU is also worried about potential drones malfunctioning and falling from the sky, adding that they are keeping a close eye on the use of these unmanned aircraft by police departments.
According to new FAA rules, police departments across the U.S. are allowed to operate remote drones weighing up to 25 pounds in U.S. airspace, and can be equipped with infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras — for now.
Also see: Swarms of tiny intelligent drones with cameras — what could go wrong?
Comments (23)
by Jay
The future is looookiiiiing goooood
by Brian Roberts
Since this is a futurist site if you can’t see in a few generations of what these things will be then I hope your the first to be quelled by them. Could literally fill a home depot with all the nasty little things technology brings but ah it’s ok if we creep little by little-c’mon think of how much crime we can fight….
….riiiight
by Art.white
How many donnuts can it carry?
by Frost
You don’t like it, invest in a .50 cal rifle while you still can.
Hate to say it, but the powers that be seem to be bent on abusing it “for our protection.” Only real way to stop abuse is to have a hard counter to it available.
by Mac
As a former police officer of 15 years myself, and an expert on use force, I see serious problems with arming drones, especially with lethal weaponry……..the argument for arming a police officer with a lethal weapon is the protection of life……..under what possible circumstance would a drone use lethal force? One can imagine some extraordinarily rare hostage situation, but even in that one cannot accept the argument that a police technician miles from the scene should be allowed to make a life or death judgement…….and lethal force clearly would not be justified in defending the drone itself………..as an observation platform, I can see an argument for drones…….as a weapons platform, far less so……..the less lethal weaponry is less problematic, but does introduce a ‘slippery slope’ set of arguments, but we have already armed robots with less lethal weaponry, so a precedent has been set there.
by mike
“I am a liberal, was a cop, think it is a great idea.” joe, u sound like some brown shirted nazi gestappo type. Why is it pig cops and liberals always seem fine with a further loss of privacy and rights???????
by Robyn
A simple matter of economics. A Global Hawk costs $104 million. Yes, I know we’re not flying those domestically, but as you said, slippery slope. I don’t see our homeland security community valuing a human being in that range. So, as soon as a person decides to actively resist surveillance, the choice will be relatively simple. The first time is always the hardest, eventually it will become commonplace.
by Joe
I am a liberal, was a cop, think it is a great idea.
I already own a ar.parrrot and play with it, will only be time before they are weaponized….that is the world we live in.
by Chris
You think it’s a great idea to allow a tech miles away from a situation make life and death choices where innocent people can and will be killed? Ok,I can see why because you’re a liberal. The liberal philosophy is kill first,ask questions later. Look at what liberals are doing to America. Turning it into a 3rd world communist police state country to usher in the NWO for the UN and CFR.
I respect cops for what they do in putting their lives on the line to protect society.But,we have a Marxist in the WH who’s intent is to destroy free America under the guise of a false flag event in the name of liberalism and socialism. ANY cop(or ex cop) who supports a police state communist America is NOT an American or a patriot. Especially IF they support the present occupier of the WH.
Anyhow,this is a reality we’ll have to adjust to,and when I say “adjust to”, I mean adjust my scope to knock it OUT of the sky. I will not tolerate cameras around my house and I will not tolerate armed drones near my house and children. They will be dealt with accordingly.
That’s just the world we live in.
by Joe
To sum it up Chris, “IF they support the present occupier of the WH..(they are)… NOT an American or a patriot.” I edited your quote but the message is the same.
I was in the military, army ranger. I was a cop and now I am getting a job for the county. So I have dealt with federal, state and local government my whole life. I have work as an aggressor (army), an enforcer (cop), and as a helper (clinical therapist). So I can say that I am a “Pro-American” and “Patriot”. What have you done, Chris, to help those around you? What have you done to support the government and fix our problems?
Aside from all that bull. Yes, I think it is a good idea to have armed drones, hell I do not want them to even be remote. I want them to be able to drop a gunman at 1000 yards with AI aka terminator style.
I would have loved to have one of these on a mission. Eye on the objective that can react, does not get hurt and is under my control…who would not want that?………..Someone that has never done it.
by Robby 777
Slippery slope! LEO’s are getting lazy with high tech. Robots, remote control, and drones are not the answer. Is it a federal crime to shoot down a drone yet? Remote controlled airplanes have been restricted to certain areas. What make drones any better???
by Chris
You can bet the farm that it will be made a federal law that it is illegal to shoot down,or, electronically incapacitate any drone using weapons or radio transmitters that jam on the same operating wavelength.
However,like any law,once that drone get’s too close to my kids or my house…..
by Monkey Smasher
This is typical of the Obama Nazi (National SOCIALIST) movement. Democrats like to squash freedom and liberty under the guise of protecting us. Big Brother Government knows best they say. Just as Hitler said this is for the motherland. Socialism and democrats always use the same evil justifications to crush the sheeple masses!
by Kristoph77
As soon as you start talking republican verse democratic you’ve already discredited yourself since they are one in the same, two sides of one coin, the owner of the coin benefits regardless of which side it lands on.
by melajara
Even more scary, IMHO, i s the banalization of armed drones actually handed over terrorist groups. No more need of costly “suicide bombers”. A little drone is so much quicker, precise and capable. Now imagine them loaded with powerful explosives and aimed at tall buildings or at nuclear plants. What’s the countermeasure?
by Kristoph77
Fully automated Quadcopters launched from the roofs cop cars will be to provide video recordings of police interactions, pursue fleeing suspects, and covertly observe locations like never before… Good for law enforcement, bad for criminals, and privacy concerns….I agree with Harmil2 a very slippery slope
by Gorden Russell
Have you ever noticed that cops make up the law as they go? Even when you know the law and are obeying the law, they contradict you and order you about like a dog. Now a cop at a console 25 miles away can bully you and you have no recourse but to obey or be hosed down with tear gas and rubber bullets.
by harmil2
…and so begins America’s most slippery slide down the steepest of slopes.
by The Lone Gunman
Yes, there is the immediate obvious rise of Nazi/Republican law ENFORCEMENT and their built in excuse will be: “…the controls were hacked and we couldn’t control them. It was them lousy poor people…”! Always blame the victim!
by Government
Do not worry, we work for you!
by GatorALLin
…in other news….Skynet released at a press conference that they can control all drones remotely….
by Rose
Could you point me in the direction of the source of your information?
by Timothy
Armed drones controlled by local cops and sherriff’s deputies. What could possibly go wrong?