We are all familiar with the military use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to keep tabs on and sometimes take shots at bad guys in a combat environment.
Knowing many technologies first developed and utilized by the military later find extensive application in the civilian sector, it should come as no surprise that civilian law enforcement is seriously interested in UAVs.
According to Noah Shachtman in his article ‘Cops Demand Drones’ LA County Sheriffs acquired and deployed a UAV in early 2006 but were quickly grounded by the FAA. Law enforcement, who point to the incredible advantages such technology offers them are understandably unhappy with the grounding. One need only watch a couple of police helicopter videos to see why.
But are we as a nation ready for police drones patrolling the skies above our cities? It seems a short flight from there to any number of science fiction scenarios that generally end badly for the citizens in books and movies. While there is no unstoppable wave from drone deployment to Orwellian police state, the matter deserves attention. What say you?
Thinking that while “Those who are ignorant of their science fiction may be doomed to experience it!” doesn’t have quite the same ring of truth to it as the original from which it is derived, it needs saying nonetheless …
Blue Collar Muse
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