As reported by Central District News…
SPD’s public display of their Draganflyer X6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (AKA “drone”) Thursday at Garfield Community Center was supposed to give people a chance to see the camera-toting remote-piloted helicopter in person and give residents the chance to ask questions about how it would be used.
However, a group of protesters had other ideas for the meeting, shouting down the officers with chants and disruption for much of the meeting time. Many people have concerns about increasing the police department’s surveillance tools, while others see it as the start of dystopian worlds depicted in novels like 1984.
A handful of residents yelled back at the irate protesters, calling for civil discourse. Their efforts didn’t stop the interruptions; however, some did get their questions answered over the chaos caused by the demonstrators.
Rich Hanson
AMA Government and Regulatory Affairs
I don’t like the protestors approach in this situation. At the same time I don’t feel comfortable listening to any public speaker who carries a gun in his holster. The drone is a great tool in the right hands and a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. I fly these on a regular basis. Public presentation of this tool by police seems very unwise to me unless they can highlight it’s very positive and benigh application for the benefit of all. Not only can it carry a live camera but one with facial recognition capability and ultimately a taser or other form of weapon.
While I would not have participated in the protest, and do not approve of the uncivil discourse, I sympathize with their concerns. Those who hold jobs that further the interests of a police state have personal reasons for \”overlooking\” or ignoring the destruction of privacy and the Constitution: the first being their own back pocket. Thus they justify pushing the envelope and law taken too far naturally suppresses liberty. While I enjoy flying R/C, I do not use it to indiscriminately invade people\’s privacy or go on fishing expeditions. Government employees, aided by technology, are slowly destroying liberty under the guise of protection. How infrequently do the powerful refuse to accrue more power.
Mr. Weldon Smith:
Well Said Sir,
Those that have ever taken an oath to defend and protect the Constitution and bear true faith and allegiance to it recall the end phrase \”from all enemies foreign and domestic.
When the police state supercedes the organic law this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Liberty once secured is endangered in the name of \”security\”. Not a fair trade ever.