A new police tool is being introduced to the Bay Area

For surveillance, the use of a drone is less intrusive, less noisy, less costly and more efficient than a helicopter. Eventually we'll see drones in Pacifica, and maybe we already have seen drones here.

San Francisco Chronicle/Chip Johnson, Columnist, 12/18/12.  "Get ready:  Drones will come to Bay Area."

Meet surveillance officer Drone

"If everything goes according to plan, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office will soon have a drone, a small unmanned aircraft, to aid with crowd control, search-and-rescue missions and other law enforcement duties that could use a set of eyes in the air. Think of it as the newest tool for law enforcement. Not surprisingly, not everyone is happy about this. The chief concern of critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, is that the drones threaten the privacy rights of everyday citizens.

.... In Oakland, Police Chief Howard Jordan supports their use for law enforcement because the flying machines - which federal guidelines limit to 55 pounds or less - can serve as a force multiplier in a city whose officers are outnumbered, outgunned and too often out-maneuvered by the bad guys. "If they're used to assist us in fighting crime, locating hazardous materials, search-and-rescue efforts and catching the bad guys, I have no problem using them," Jordan said.  He dismissed the privacy issue, noting that many law enforcement agencies already possess helicopters equipped with advanced sensory systems. "A helicopter can already do the same thing - but they cost three times as much to operate," Jordan said."  Read Article.

Posted by Kathy Meeh