A new generation of drones designed for law enforcement is set to launch, starting in Arizona. They can be deployed rapidly during emergencies, hovering above traffic to assess situations before the arrival of police or firefighters. However, they come with serious privacy concerns that have yet to be addressed. Flock Safety, whose cameras and gunshot detection systems are used by police departments nationwide, is integrating first-responder drones from a startup called Aerodome into its crime-solving platform, Axios reports. Scottsdale, Ariz., police will get the drones first, and other cities are expected to follow. Adding autonomous drones to the mix will help police respond to incidents in real-time. When a Flock camera detects a stolen vehicle or a car associated with an AMBER alert, an officer or dispatcher can push a button to send a rooftop drone to the location in less than 90 seconds.
A drone can also serve as a "force multiplier:" If only one officer is available when two 911 calls come in the dispatcher can send the drone to track a suspect. Drones can also protect officers and bystanders by replacing high-speed car chases, Flock says. "By layering in a drone-as-a-first-responder (DFR) program, we add another way to empower first responders to protect lives, keep Scottsdale safe, reduce response times and drive down crime," Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther said. About two dozen agencies currently have DFR programs, with more planned, according to Charles Werner of the nonprofit DroneResponders Public Safety Alliance. The extra eyes in the sky may prove helpful to first responders, but they also raise privacy and Fourth Amendment concerns. The Phoenix Police Department only recently began using drones because of pushback from residents who feared they could be employed for illegal surveillance. "We're very concerned that we may be moving toward a future where we find ourselves constantly scanning the skies, seeing drones overhead, and feeling like the eyes of law enforcement are always upon us," says American Civil Liberties Union policy analyst Jay Stanley. "That's no way for anybody to have to live."
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