Houston Police use DRONES to spy on AMERICANS -

[Teresa Heilevang]

Houston Police use DRONES to spy on AMERICANS -

[Texas_Bryan]

We've got an old saying in Texas, "F%#& Houston."

[tombogan03884]

 The day some kid  put a camera in his model plane this became inevitable. The first thing they will use to justify it is "the war on drugs" for surveillance of "drug suspects".
And even relatively intelligent people still believe that crap.

[seeker_two]

I think this is a reminder that we all need to brush up on our skeet/trap/clays skills.... 

[Pathfinder]

I think this is a reminder that we all need to brush up on our skeet/trap/clays skills.... 

Right. Assuming of course your shotgun can reach 5000 feet!   

We had drones flying the Red River during the floods last spring, from Canada to NE. It helped confirm that the Canucks had closed lock gates on the river to prevent flooding here, while at the same time making the flooding here much worse. They can have peaceful purposes.

But, like every other technological innovation, once in the hands of the gummint, it will be used against us in order to control us.

[Sponsor]

[crusader rabbit]

So, now Big Brother can see under my clothes at the airport, has access to all my medical records, knows everything I buy with a credit card,   can listen in to cell phone conversations without a warrant, and now can look into my house and car from an unmanned drone flying overhead.   Meanwhile, here in Florida, I need three forms of government-issued ID to get my drivers license renewed.   Privacy Issues?  We got no privacy to have issues with.

Nothing to see here, folks, move along...  Move along.

[jnevis]

Hate to break it to you guys but the only major difference between a Scan Eagle and a normal police helicopter is range/duration.  Matter of fact the helicopter has  MUCH more capable sensors.  Scan Eagle may stay up longer but the MD500 they showed as a HPD unit probably has as a better IR/EO package.  There are a string of legal restrictions on invasive searches using the IR sensors.  They can't use the IR to verify the use of heat lamps in a grow house without probable cause and a warrant.  As far as normal surveillance, wether its a UAV or a helo it's the same.  Just scanning the ground at random and catching something is not permissible in court.  No probable cause.  The way the law has been crafted, there is little expectation of privacy when outside in a public area but they still can't use the video to prosecute without other evidence and testimony.  Hours of burning holes in the sky looking at nothing in particular until tasked by a ground unit to look at something or chase someone.  

Fresno County has three different helicopter units, CHP, Fresno County and Fresno PD, to maintain a 16-20 overwatch which isn't that far off from the duration of a single Scan Eagle.  I'm all for UAV use by LE.  It's cheaper and easier to operate than a helicopter, add to that if the unit fails its a  40lb object coming down without a person instead of a 10000lb object with two on board and lots of fuel.  

Oh BTW, the military is legally restricted from conducting surviellance on Americans under any circumstances.

[alfsauve]

I thought that unmanned flight over populated areas was forbidden by the FAA.

[jnevis]

I thought that unmanned flight over populated areas was forbidden by the FAA.

That is beginning to change and there are again a great deal of restrictions on altitude, location ect.

[Pathfinder]

When the drones flew here last year, the operators had to get tons of OKs from the military and FAA before it could happen.