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Police seek a new eye in the sky Ryan Lillis The Sacramento Police Department is developing an unmanned aircraft to conduct video surveillance at crime scenes and other emergencies, joining a wave of law enforcement agencies across the country hoping to use so-called aerial drones similar to those used by the military. Such efforts have sparked concerns by civil libertarians who fear police may violate citizens' privacy with such technology. But the Police Department says such concerns are unfounded and that it has begun applying for Federal Aviation Administration approval to operate its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, by next summer. The aircraft, along with other new technology being used by the department, will be unveiled today at a press conference. "It's mind-boggling when we start brainstorming of how we can use it," Police Chief Albert Nájera said.
The Police Department has been developing the project for the past six months, constructing a prototype and working on the technology that will link video and infrared images taken by the drone to officers on the ground and in helicopters. The department said it already has much of the technology in place to broadcast the images and that the project's start-up costs are minimal. The FAA said it has seen an increase in the number of law enforcement agencies across the country interested in using unmanned drones, but so far only police departments in Houston and Miami have begun testing the technology.
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