Washington Post article - "Police nationwide are embracing a new first responder: Drones" 8/4/2025

[MS Coast]

"Law enforcement agencies tout the technology as lifesaving for both officers and community members, while critics raise surveillance and privacy concerns."

Appears to be DJI hardware in the photos.

https://wapo.st/45xOG69

 

[anotherlab]

"Law enforcement agencies tout the technology as lifesaving for both officers and community members, while critics raise surveillance and privacy concerns."

Appears to be DJI hardware in the photos.

https://wapo.st/45xOG69

But Skydio was the company mentioned in the article.

 

[mavic3usa]

Not surprised:

Unmanned police helicopter tested in UK for first time

Unmanned helicopters that can stay airborne for up to 12 hours are being tested near Bristol.

www.bbc.com

 

[Dave Pitman]

NYT ?? The link is to a Washington Post article. Behind a paywall for me. But I'd be surprised if it was something besides DJI gear used.

 

[MS Coast]

NYT ?? The link is to a Washington Post article. Behind a paywall for me. But I'd be surprised if it was something besides DJI gear used.

(My mistake. It's updated. I subscribe to both.)

Subscribers are given ten "gift shares" per month. I looked into it further and found that anyone using the link must have a Washington Post account. There is a free account option which would allow you to read the article and also provides limited access to other content. A paid subscription isn't required. But sharing the article isn't as simple as it seemed.

https://wapo.st/45xOG69

 

[GadgetGuy]

"Law enforcement agencies tout the technology as lifesaving for both officers and community members, while critics raise surveillance and privacy concerns."

Appears to be DJI hardware in the photos.

https://wapo.st/45xOG69

It is.

"The Chula Vista Police Department primarily uses drones manufactured by DJI, specifically the Matrice 210 V2 and Matrice M-300 models. They were also among the first to utilize Skydio 2 drones. The department's Drone as First Responder (DFR) program utilizes these drones to respond to various emergency situation."

They started with Skydio in 2019 and then upgraded to DJI.

 

[mavic3usa]

According to Cameron Chell, CEO of Canadian drone maker Draganfly, some platforms can “measure a person’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels from 500 meters away” (approximately 1,640 feet).​

Certainly you need a warrant for that, right?

---

AI-POWERED POLICE DRONES REACH 1,500 US DEPARTMENTS AS LANDMARK PRIVACY LAWSUIT TESTS LEGAL LIMITS​

AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits

Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response,

dronexl.co

 

[Felix le Chat]

According to Cameron Chell, CEO of Canadian drone maker Draganfly, some platforms can “measure a person’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels from 500 meters away” (approximately 1,640 feet).​

Certainly you need a warrant for that, right?

---

AI-POWERED POLICE DRONES REACH 1,500 US DEPARTMENTS AS LANDMARK PRIVACY LAWSUIT TESTS LEGAL LIMITS​

AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits

Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response,

dronexl.co

Translating the highlighted text into plain English: Cameron Chell is suggesting that there is the flying equivalent to a polygraph... Irresponsible hogwash... talk about adding another layer to the already substantial paranoia cake the general public just love to eat up.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Translating the highlighted text into plain English: Cameron Chell is suggesting that there is the flying equivalent to a polygraph... Irresponsible hogwash... talk about adding another layer to the already substantial paranoia cake the general public just love to eat up.

Don't you first have to ask a question and obtain an answer for a polygraph? LOL!
What's the question?
Where are the baseline responses against which the answer is being compared?
Assuming the contention is true, all they are doing is discovering if someone under stress, which they likely already knew!
I suppose you might be able to pick out a person under stress in a crowd, who might be your fleeing suspect trying to blend in.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Don't you first have to ask a question and obtain an answer for a polygraph? LOL!
What's the question?
Where are the baseline responses against which the answer is being compared?
Assuming the contention is true, all they are doing is discovering if someone under stress, which they likely already knew!
I suppose you might be able to pick out a person under stress in a crowd, who might be your fleeing suspect trying to blend in.

Well, the last time I had either checked, I was pretty sure things like blood pressure and blood O2 needed physical contact... If a doctor gave me a "...Paddington gave the man a hard stare..." from across the room then told me I was okay: the next suggestion from me would be he take a stay in a rubber room.

IF it is an accurate quote correctly ascribed to the CEO of a credible business, he wins the Adam Bry Award for the ability to flip the definitions of 'fantasy' and 'reality'.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Well, the last time I had either checked, I was pretty sure things like blood pressure and blood O2 needed physical contact... If a doctor gave me a "...Paddington gave the man a hard stare..." from across the room then told me I was okay: the next suggestion from me would be he take a stay in a rubber room.

I certainly wasn't agreeing that the author's contentions were true.

Only that if they were true, they certainly weren't, as you claimed, the "flying equivalent of a polygraph," which requires more than just measuring physiology.

It requires a qualified person to properly administer the polygraph by asking questions and obtaining answers to try and discern deception, not just a device to measure your "heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels."Any nurse can that, and it's not a polygraph.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I certainly wasn't agreeing that the author's contentions were true.

Only that if they were true, they certainly weren't, as you claimed, the "flying equivalent of a polygraph," which requires more than just measuring physiology.

It requires a qualified person to properly administer the polygraph by asking questions and obtaining answers to try and discern deception, not just a device to measure your "heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels."Any nurse can that, and it's not a polygraph.

The key point being that it's exactly those states that are central to the operation of a polygraph... I think you may have missed the point that I was being sardonic.

 

[anotherlab]

According to Cameron Chell, CEO of Canadian drone maker Draganfly, some platforms can “measure a person’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels from 500 meters away” (approximately 1,640 feet).​

Certainly you need a warrant for that, right?

---

AI-POWERED POLICE DRONES REACH 1,500 US DEPARTMENTS AS LANDMARK PRIVACY LAWSUIT TESTS LEGAL LIMITS​

AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits

Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response,

dronexl.co

Saying that you can detect those readings from 500m is not the same as actually doing it. In their own press releases, they use the terms "relatively short distance"

“What we have done is equip our vehicle with a series of different sensors, which, when combined, create a comprehensive picture of a potential pandemic infection,” Cameron said. “First, from a relatively short distance, the drone can detect body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and oxygen saturation in the blood. All of this information is processed by our proprietary software to create a comprehensive picture. Then we add movement of the limbs to the picture and artificial intelligence algorithms that look for patterns that might show coughing or sneezing, creating a holistic picture.”

I doubt that they can measure any of that with any accuracy or precision from 500m.

 

[mavic3usa]

Maybe they can detect, maybe they can't. My point has reached the point where you need a warrant and probable cause to"search" a citizen for those type of intrusive readings. A bit different than reading facial expressions and body language which can be seen in plain view. Combine with AI, there's no telling how this will be used for law enforcement purposes and could change the way detentions and arrests are conducted. You won't need to deploy dogs or wait for dogs to arrive on the scene, for example. You could launch the drone on *every* traffic stop without have to prolong the stop. Either the drones are already in the air patrolling certain neighborhoods nearby base stations are ready to deploy within minutes.

This is ok when you are fighting real crime, protecting the community, getting the bad guys off the street and acting as a deterrent so it's safe for everyone. If only such a cause was so noble....but we already know there is no such thing.

 

[Chip]

Maybe they can detect, maybe they can't. My point has reached the point where you need a warrant and probable cause to"search" a citizen for those type of intrusive readings. A bit different than reading facial expressions and body language which can be seen in plain view. Combine with AI, there's no telling how this will be used for law enforcement purposes and could change the way detentions and arrests are conducted. You won't need to deploy dogs or wait for dogs to arrive on the scene, for example. You could launch the drone on *every* traffic stop without have to prolong the stop. Either the drones are already in the air patrolling certain neighborhoods nearby base stations are ready to deploy within minutes.

This is ok when you are fighting real crime, protecting the community, getting the bad guys off the street and acting as a deterrent so it's safe for everyone. If only such a cause was so noble....but we already know there is no such thing.

Many people say, well if you are standing outside and can be seen by a person or a drone from any location with any technology then you are in plain view and have zero reasonable expectation of privacy so its all on you. It is the classic slippery slope argument. Once you accept the premise it becomes very difficult to self-arrest and avoid descent into chaos.

 

[Chip]

According to Cameron Chell, CEO of Canadian drone maker Draganfly, some platforms can “measure a person’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels from 500 meters away” (approximately 1,640 feet).​

Certainly you need a warrant for that, right?

---

AI-POWERED POLICE DRONES REACH 1,500 US DEPARTMENTS AS LANDMARK PRIVACY LAWSUIT TESTS LEGAL LIMITS​

AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits

Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response,

dronexl.co

It seems crazy to me yet people argue that if you are standing outside anywhere on earth where you can be seen by any technology from any location as far away as sensors can see. Its all fair game. Yes they can read your heart rate and blood pressure remotely and yes both may reveal helpful information about the subject's physical and emotional state. How could it not? Sure sounds like a search to me. But its been run up the flagpole let us see if anyone salutes.

 

[mavic3usa]

I'm not sure what to think about this. Would love to think AI would be programmed to follow the law exactly without bias and cannot be compromised by overzealous departments. If robots can be deployed without nefarious intent, maybe this is a good thing but for me, the jury is still out. Vehicles has a tethered drone atop.

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