County Sued For ‘Runaway’ Drone Spying On Private Property

[mavic3usa]

Michigan lawyer comments on recent events in California regarding drones. I tend to agree with Steve most of the time and certainly agree with him in this situation.

Good discussion on government use of drones in terms of spying and surveillance.

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[GadgetGuy]

What's the difference between a drone and a police helicopter with a much better camera flying around overhead? Our local police helicopters no longer return to base after completing a call. They are in the air continuously, flying around, waiting for the next incident. Instead of flying overhead once every few days, it's now multiple times a day! It's more the noise than the privacy invasion, which has always existed! Between Google Earth and police helicopters, there is no expectation of privacy any more.

 

[chadCO]

They need to use the system against them, county officials being inept would have violated most if not all FAA rules, simply use the ID system to ID the inept doing the flying and then sue them personally and report them to the FAA.
Make it a very personal problem for those doing the spying at their home.

The local drone community could setup round the clock surveillance of the mayor and police chief until they wise up, just live stream their serial failure lives to facebook and twitter.

 

[AMann]

I’ll have to admit that in my younger days while still in college, one of my first GIS and aerial interpretation jobs was working under a contract with the tax assessor’s office of a county here in California that included looking on aerial photos taken from a airplane at the properties of people who took property tax breaks by claiming that their residence was a church. We were to look for evidence that the land was being used for other purposes, such as residences or for commercial use.

I wouldn’t take that type of a job now, and doubt it would be acceptable to do today without consent or a warrant, but if it is still being done, it isn’t much different than what people can do today with not only aircraft and drones, but also with some publicly available Google and satellite imagery.

 

[mavic3usa]

What's the difference between a drone and a police helicopter with a much better camera flying around overhead? Our local police helicopters no longer return to base after completing a call. They are in the air continuously, flying around, waiting for the next incident. Instead of flying overhead once every few days, it's now multiple times a day! It's more the noise than the privacy invasion, which has always existed! Between Google Earth and police helicopters, there is no expectation of privacy any more.

Actually there is no technical difference other than what the community is willing to accept. Obviously it takes longer for the community to trust their government with high tech rather than low tech but eventually it happens. There reaches a point where the community says enough and that usually happens when the abuse starts. Take for example, the red light camera or the mobile speed trap unit. A police car with an officer behind the wheel can sit there 24/7 and the people have no objections but many communities will not accept a machine in the same place writing tickets automatically. Not because they endorse crime but because of other reasons which these complaints and lawsuits get into. Ultimately the police get to decide what is acceptable in their community, their state, from their government and I urge everyone to continue to challenge law enforcement drone use *without* the applicable and relevant laws in place to guard against potential abuse.

The local drone community could setup round the clock surveillance of the mayor and police chief until they wise up, just live stream their serial failure lives to facebook and twitter.

I think this is coming soon one day. Everyone under-estimated the first amendment auditor, the so-called cop watcher, and now we all see what this has done to the scope of law enforcement in this country and around the world.

fixed typo above

 

[tstr14]

What's the difference between a drone and a police helicopter with a much better camera flying around overhead? Our local police helicopters no longer return to base after completing a call. They are in the air continuously, flying around, waiting for the next incident. Instead of flying overhead once every few days, it's now multiple times a day! It's more the noise than the privacy invasion, which has always existed! Between Google Earth and police helicopters, there is no expectation of privacy any more.

Using that logic, what's the difference between a police helicopter and camera's mounted inside and outside your home? You need to read 1984. Seriously, because that is where your thinking is leading us.

 

[Cafguy]

There are 8 Drone officers here in Bakersfield. They won't really say exactly how Drones are used BUT they are up there somewhere everyday.

 

[Meta4]

I urge everyone to continue to challenge law enforcement drone use *without* the applicable and revenant laws in place to guard against potential abuse.

Revenant ??
Revenant is a noun that describes someone who has returned, particularly after death, from a long absence, or from a place they were previously in. The word is derived from the French word "revenir," meaning "to come back". It can also be used as an adjective to describe someone who has returned.

I think this is coming soon one day. Everyone under-estimated the first amendment auditor, the so-called cop watcher, and now we all see what this has done to the scope of law enforcement in this country and around the world.

First amendment "auditors" are scum .. the lowest form of internet life and are underestimated for good reason.

 

[mavic3usa]

First amendment "auditors" are scum .. the lowest form of internet life and are underestimated for good reason.

That's rich coming from someone who doesn't have a first amendment that needs protecting.

 

[Meta4]

That's rich coming from someone who doesn't have a first amendment that needs protecting.

I've seen plenty of first amendment "auditors" showing their efforts on Youtube and none of them have ever done anything at all worthwhile.
They just provoke people, hoping to get conflict for Youtube clicks.

 

[mavic3usa]

I've seen plenty of first amendment "auditors" showing their efforts on Youtube and none of them have ever done anything at all worthwhile.
They just provoke people, hoping to get conflict for Youtube clicks.

I wouldn't believe everything you see on Youtube. In fact, you just need to be here to realize and understand the true impact it has had. It is nothing short of profound.

 

[Meta4]

I wouldn't believe everything you see on Youtube. In fact, you just need to be here to realize and understand the true impact it has had. It is nothing short of profound.

I wouldn't believe anything a first amendment "auditor" says.
They never audit anything and do nothing at all to protect anyone's rights.
They are all troublemakers with personality disorders.

 

[mavic3usa]

I wouldn't believe anything a first amendment "auditor" says.
They never audit anything and do nothing at all to protect anyone's rights.
They are all troublemakers with personality disorders.

In the US, we are not looking for first amendment auditors to protect our rights. We're not looking for "audits" either, we could care less about the audit. Who cares what they say or how they come across, we only care about what the Constitution says. They aren't in this to be liked. thanks to them our rights are respected by the government.

The patriots were also troublemakers when they wouldn't obey the red coats and kneel to the royal orders from the kings men. I guess we know how that turned out. We chose freedom. let me know if you need a history lesson on this modern day civil rights social movement called the first amendment audit (not let the name fool you). You can join me over in OT or in one of the appropriate online forums.