Opinion: Where were the Drones?

[hank970]

In my experience, the Secret Service wasn't even remotely concerned about the intentions of people in or near a protected venue. If there was a doubt, they'd expel folks from any potentially threatening locale. I remember a fly fisherman at Grand Teton NP being jerked off a trout stream because a presidential motorcade was scheduled to pass over a nearby bridge.

Is the guy on the rooftop a potential threat or just someone washing his solar panels? No debate. Get him off the roof, even if it's his roof. He can wash his solar panels later.

If the Secret Service entrusted local law enforcement to secure those buildings just outside the perimeter, then both the Secret Service and local law enforcement dropped the ball. There should have been a uniformed presence on or actively surveilling every rooftop, elevated spot, and possible point of concealment within line-of-sight of the speaker's stand. And there should have been a Secret Service agent specifically assigned to ensure that local cooperators were doing their jobs. Better safe than sorry.

 

[AnzacJack]

It certainly seems like they dropped the ball. I wasnt there nor am i privy to how those guys operate, but from my military experience and being involved in many exercises in my years of service and looking at the aerial pics of the area, the spot the sniper acted from would have been the first place i would have had covered.
It seems like they had cover looking out, but nothing looking in.

 

[NightFlightAlright]

I have a different set of suggestions. Train all security personnel that if they see someone walking around with a ladder and a rifle to stop and ask them what they are doing.

And they are/they do. The failure here was the building the shooter climbed onto was outside of the cordoned off area of the rally. Being external to the rally, on otherwise private property, it appears there was a definite lack of patrol/surveilance.

So the thing here is “secure all grounds within 1000’ of the event” and I’m not sure 1000’ is even sufficient.

Train and then place a counter sniper team on high ground and ask them to keep their eyes open and look for people on rooftops especially those situated less than 200 yards away with direct line of sight to the target.

They did. And those snipers had sight of the shooter, and were initially told to hold fire while leadership attempted to pull their head out of their *** long enough to figure out WTF was going on.

The breakdown here was inter-agency communication, where there was an organizational concern that the spotted individual was with some agency working in an official capacity.

Thus, the fix is better situational awareness and proper communication.

Flying drones over political rallies and using facial recognition to capture and log every person in attendance is way over the top and violates freedom of assembly.

Mmmm ….have you been to many political rallies and protests? You know most of those guys with short hair and nice SLRs with long lenses aren’t all photojournalists.

See the film “Taxi Driver” for examples.

 

[AnzacJack]

Now being reported that the gunman had done his own drone surveillance of the venue just hours before, to make his plans.

 

[NightFlightAlright]

Now being reported that the gunman had done his own drone surveillance of the venue just hours before, to make his plans.

Yeah of course they’re saying that. Did they find a drone registered to him?

 

[Dmcvey]

And they are/they do. The failure here was the building the shooter climbed onto was outside of the cordoned off area of the rally. Being external to the rally, on otherwise private property, it appears there was a definite lack of patrol/surveilance.

So the thing here is “secure all grounds within 1000’ of the event” and I’m not sure 1000’ is even sufficient.



They did. And those snipers had sight of the shooter, and were initially told to hold fire while leadership attempted to pull their head out of their *** long enough to figure out WTF was going on.

The breakdown here was inter-agency communication, where there was an organizational concern that the spotted individual was with some agency working in an official capacity.

Thus, the fix is better situational awareness and proper communication.



Mmmm ….have you been to many political rallies and protests? You know most of those guys with short hair and nice SLRs with long lenses aren’t all photojournalists.

See the film “Taxi Driver” for examples.

There was to have been a LEO CS on that roof but they setup on the second floor. CS behind Trump knew there should have been CS on that roof. Took time to determine that person on roof was friend or foe. LOE and SS were not on same radio channels.

Trump did not have a full presidential SS package. The only SS were the react team on stage, the rest of the group was DHS Investigators. A VIP Package may not have included drones.

 

[AnzacJack]

Yeah of course they’re saying that. Did they find a drone registered to him?

i believe so. From what i have heard, they have recovered craft with a flight plan for an autonomous flight for the area, that was taken much earlier in the day
But who knows what to believe. So many sources saying different things, and what they dont know, they make up.

 

[NightFlightAlright]

There was to have been a LEO CS on that roof but they setup on the second floor. CS behind Trump knew there should have been CS on that roof. Took time to determine that person on roof was friend or foe. LOE and SS were not on same radio channels.

Trump did not have a full presidential SS package. The only SS were the react team on stage, the rest of the group was DHS Investigators. A VIP Package may not have included drones.

Thank you for the additional insight.