New ND lawmaker 1 of many drafting drone measures
January 4, 2013 at 10:00 am in Grand Forks Herald
A freshman lawmaker from North Dakota is one of numerous state legislators around the country suggesting regulations to limit the use of unmanned planes for law enforcement, an effort that’s gaining bipartisan support and fostering unlikely political alignments. Continue Reading
If there is any doubt what the consequences of drones may be for privacy, one just took out a Taliban chief in Pakistan. If they can be that accurate, in the hands of an over-zealous police force they will also be fatal to personal liberty.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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except these have no weapons. kind of a big difference.
The one in the picture is no different than the helicopters they already have access to except its a lot cheaper for the taxpayer.
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Several years ago, a member of the Grand Forks Fire Dept. told me, that the police dept. once in a while, requests them to go by a house with a type of thermal imager camera, to see if anyone is inside.
From what I can tell, this type of camera can detect heat(?) , to see if someone is inside the building?
Don’t kid yourself. The cops, prosecutors, etc, do whatever they want. We need strong laws to say “no” to the invasion of privacy. Not only do we need strong laws to protect privacy, but also a part of the law that spells out punishment (jail time, fines, etc.) for government officials that break the law. No warrant, then no invasion of privacy!
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Cops also do this when they are checking for grow houses. They want to know if someone is using lights to grow weed.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Do some research on your own.
These things CANNOT see heat signatures inside of a home.
They can see heat signatures OUTSIDE and that it.
The individual you spoke to lied to you if he told you that the Predator drone could be used for that.
If it COULD be used for that kind of stuff we would need more law enforcement agents to handle all the arrests. Its just a simple overhead surveillance system that can ensure the area is safe when the cops attempt a raid.
I dont mind legislation that locks it in place to ensure our privacy in the future but you guys really need to read up on the ones in our area.
Someone is doing a lot of fear mongering for nothing.
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What they carry on the fire trucks is a thermal imaging camera. It is used to detect heat, say inside a wall, where the fire is burning inside.
Supposedly, if you are outside a house, you can scan inside the houseit and see people, because of their body heat?
Do not kid yourself. See the GPS that is available for the civilian market. It is several generations behind what the military has now.
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i only said that the predator couldnt see through walls.
I never said the Fire dept didnt have equipment that could.
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Robert, did a little more research…..
These drones are restricted to specific airspace by the FAA.
They are not allowed anywhere near the town or airports where civilian aircraft may be flying.
Maybe your fire dept contact knows of another type drone other than the one pictured, maybe a hand held model?
Or maybe he was just stirring the fear pot. who knows.
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Define “normal”. The gov’t is always considering things to be an “emergency” and circuventing the laws.
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cant argue that point.
I just know that the current drones in ourt area dont bother me because i have done the research and know what they are used for.
I do agree with guidelines that prevent them from EVER carrying weapons when patrolling our nation.
I just dont fear them and i dont mind them being used to help ensure law enforcements safety on raids.
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Chuckle. Prior to drones we have had airplanes and helicopters with cameras and satellites with almost the same resolution as the drone cameras. How do you think they get the google earth imagery? Now a new platform for real time observation is available and we are suddenly worried about it? Sorry folks, it already happened before the drones and you are trying to close the barn door after the horse already left the building.
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Exactly….That horse left the barn a long time ago.
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and this platform does the exact same thing as the existing technology it just does it in real time for a fraction of the cost.
As i recall the brossart farm incident was nothing more than police being able to scan 5 acres of farm land looking for any dangers when they went to make an arrest.
Do we scan the area if the technology exists or do we just let the cops take their chances that one of the family members is hiding in the woods ready to attack?
Seems like a simple answer to me.
I could see legislation that mandates that weapons NEVER be loaded on these things etc but to worry that this is any more invasive than whats alrady out there is absurd.
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chuckle at the thumbs down. They obviously didn’t realize this was already happening.
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The military is generations ahead on what is in the civilian market. This is true with GPS and I am sure with other technology.
Deer hunters think they got it good for what they can buy for scopes. Nothing compared to the military and Federal law enforcement (Border patrol, etc.) have.
Don’t kid yourself. The gov’t is hell bent on snooping. The Patriot Act is still in effect.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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But the Patriot Act is a good thing. it protects us.
It was only bad and an invasion of our rights and privacy when Bush was in office.
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It was the open ended anything goes aspect that “Some” under Cheney (He was the real spook in all that…I doubt Bush was even told about much of what he did until it was too late) that was so bad. You can’t have a document like that without real oversite or you’re just asking for some to abuse it.
Otherwise here again is something we can finally agree on….Nice to be on the same side once in a while eh?
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For 10 yrs. spy satellites have had real time capability to see into peoples backyards. If you’re on your deck reading a book they can read the title in real time. This has been verified by a friend @ the GFAFB who has used it.
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you would think it would be cheaper just to buy your own copy of the book.
Its got to cost a fortune reading by spy satellite.
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Like most I too have looked at several places on Google Earth. I’m impressed at how much we’re allowed to see. I still can’t hardly get it in my head how a lens can see things like license plate numbers from that many miles in the sky. That zoom technology is literally out of this world
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You think the tin foil hat types are reading our comments?
BTW, Go Bison. Fine game.
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I guess what concerns me much more than law enforcement drones is that they’re making way for private company drones. So in the future in theory if you had enough cash you could hire a private detective with a drone to do some stalking of an ex under the guise of trying to get dirt in a divorce. Or hire someone who isn’t a licensed PI to basically do the same just for stalking sake of anyone they might be interested in. This tool could turn out to be very dangerous in the wrong hands….Not reall “If” but when it gets in the wrong hands.
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Drones are about to become a very accepted tool…nation wide. So much so that the govt. is giving away FREE TUITION AND BOOKS to train Image Analysts. Get used to seeing these things.
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Get used to seeing amateurs get hold of these and fly them into turbos or props. I wonder how they will be able to avoid that? I suppose they’ll be so expensive that not too many in the general public will try to own one
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What I want is a bug. Have you seen these new tools? Looks just like a creepy crawly and can scale walls to get both audio and visual on what’s happening inside….Blackmail anyone? Prime tool for that. Get one of those, pay my boss a few visits, and have a nice early retirement with one hell of a severance…See how dangerous those could be?
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That’s where i get nervous.
These large aircraft like the Predator and Global Hawk don’t bother me.
They are just doing the same thing the Govt can already do at a fraction of the cost to the taxpayer.
Those miniaturized spy bugs and such, things they can fly right through an open window into your house.
Now that worries me.
and they already exist, that worries me even more.
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I saw that on either the Military channel or National Geographic…..Both amazing and like you said…a bit scary. Talk about “Big brother watching” to an extreme if we get another Hoover like character.
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