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UK Police Plan To Use Military-Style Spy Drones
krou writes "According to documents obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act, the UK police plan on deploying unmanned drones in the UK to 'revolutionize policing' and extend domestic 'surveillance, monitoring and evidence gathering,' which will be used in 'the routine work of the police, border authorities and other government agencies.' The documents come from the South Coast Partnership, 'a Home Office-backed project in which Kent police and others are developing a national drone plan' in conjunction with BAE Systems. The stated aim is to introduce the system in time for the 2012 Olympics. Initially, Kent police stated that the system would be used to monitor shipping lanes and illegal immigrants, but the documents reveal that this was part of a PR strategy: 'There is potential for these [maritime] uses to be projected as a "good news" story to the public rather than more "big brother."' However, the documents talk about a much wider range of usage, such as '[detecting] theft from cash machines, preventing theft of tractors and monitoring antisocial driving,' as well as 'road and railway monitoring, search and rescue, event security and covert urban surveillance.' Also, due to the expense involved, it has also been suggested that some data could be sold off to private companies, or the drones could be used for commercial purposes."
On the surface, this does not seem like a bad idea. If the drone is just capturing video of what is out in the open for all to see anyway, I don't have a problem with a drone recording it. What is a bit troubling is that we know that some of the military drones have infrared capability - so it would be possible in theory for one of these drones to be equipped with the same capability, allowing it to look directly into buildings and homes.
1984
But Big Brother wasn't bad, he was always there to protect you...to watch out for you. He would never hurt you.
What is really amazing isn't that they're implementing this system, it's that their rhetoric is so very similar to that from 1984. They don't call the system or the watchers big brother, but they tell you that it's for your protection, only bad people have anything to fear, and generally have a nearly indistinguishable attitude about it. The only difference is the name. But not many actually read 1984 I suppose (from the general populace, geeks here not included) so most people I imagine don't realize the similarities in rhetoric.
This is obviously a bad thing, and makes me very cautious about even wanting to enter the UK. Yikes.
'[detecting] theft from cash machines, preventing theft of tractors and monitoring antisocial driving,'
They're either going to have tens of thousands of them or hoping to get really lucky.
Also, due to the expense involved, it has also been suggested that some data could be sold off to private companies, or the drones could be used for commercial purposes
So we'll see TV shows featuring footage captured by drones?
Google might buy it too but if its targeting people it'll make obscuring faces harder.
I am a free slashdotter. I will not be modded, blogged, DRM'd, patented, podcasted or RFID'd. My life is my own.
The slippery slope is your attitude that "if it's in the open, they can record it." Because for the last ten thousand years of human civilization THIS HAS NOT BEEN TRUE. So to say there is no effect from this radical change in human circumstances is either naive or disingenuous.
Apart from being far cheaper and safer, how is this different from police helicopters they already use and have been using for over twenty years?
If Homeland Security tried to spy on us with drones, it would become a sport to shoot them down. And they WOULD go down, too. Lots of expensive wreckage.
But I guess they'd have footage of the culprit who shot it down and let him pay for the expensive wreckage...
Ceci n'est pas une
Sounds like a good application for hackers; don't shoot them down, commandeer them.
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In the United States, we'll shoot at helicopters with actual people in them. If Homeland Security tried to spy on us with drones, it would become a sport to shoot them down. And they WOULD go down, too. Lots of expensive wreckage.
As much as I love the 2nd amendment, you do realize that most small arms top out at 10,000 feet and these drones fly around 20,000 feet or higher, right?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
There's a second way to boil a frog: knock it over the head before you toss it in the pot.
Anyway, who boils frogs?
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
Well, I guess this had to happen. Full fail for street level cameras for billions, so the only option left is to go full retard.
One cannot even argue that this is a responsible use of public funds:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6082530/1000-CCTV-cameras-to-solve-just-one-crime-Met-Police-admits.html
Of course, tourist photos must be deleted though, you know, in the name of public safety. Where is the "shake my head in disbelief" animated icon again?
- - - Non Caffeine Drink or Drink Error
the undersides and such or have it tow a big big banner.
This Surveillance Drone is sponsored by Big Brother, MTV 7pm daily.
More than likely the revenue model will be new crimes for which there is a nice monetary penalty attached. Perhaps we can combine this with the Global Warming cabal and fine people for barbecue grills or too much outdoor lighting.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
And when the massive tracking database of 'observations' is hacked and used against the populace, this will be seen as evidence of a need for MORE surveillance.
When it comes to data:
To PROTECT it,
Don't COLLECT it.
He only had to do all that "probable cause" thing because you were there. Without you in tow, the cop could have stopped the driver and just SAID the driver had broken some law. And who's the judge gonna believe?
Probable Cause, lol , in the UK they can stop and search whomever or when ever they wish, using jumped up intepritation of section 44 of the terrorism act (note no anti-) ........ Anonymous Coward for obvious reasons
I expect that the main motive in these drones is some company making a profit. Crime did not drop with CCTV cameras so all they really accomplish it to make a couple of people who were already rich, richer.
This is the reasoning behind red-light cameras in the US, as well. A private "contractor" installs and supports the cameras. Said contractor also gets a cut of the ticket "revenue."
Oftentimes, the contractor convinces the locality to shorten the yellow light period, making more people run the red light. In other words, red light cameras simply impose an additional tax on the populace.
I have a bad feeling about this...
I've nothing but sympathy for the people of the U.K. They can't have guns to counter extreme government. They are taxed to the hilt to pay for their own persecution. They've put up with this and more for years while dealing with social class as being somehow important. Yet they seem ,by and large to remain fairly jolly and rationalize their sodomizing by the government as necessary for all.
Humans long to live free with government playing a small role. The U.K., Australia, Canada and soon the U.S. are the opposite of this.
Perhaps we should stage a world revolution at some point, overthrow the lot of them and just start over. If not for ourselves, then for those to come.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
Your moderation is deserved. Your username is apt even.
However you neglect to mention death and injury from drones falling out of the sky. I doubt people will take pot shots at UAVs in the UK, however a cheap laserpointer would render it blind or cause it crash.
This would not go down well stateside, first lawsuit and it's all over.
After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
That's hardly an excuse to justify the tax-funded equivalent of stalking. There's a reason why stalking is illegal for you and me, and it should damn well be illegal for government too.
>> a much wider range of usage, such as '[detecting] theft from cash machines, preventing theft of tractors and monitoring antisocial driving,'
Ahh the truth will out. Has there been an country-wide epidemic of tractor thefts recently? Is it practical to use an aircraft that can't hover to surveil ATMs? I think not. Now guess which one they REALLY want drones for.
I really can't imagine that our wonderful police would generate all those lame excuses just to cover up that they really just want drones as yet another way to generate even more revenue from drivers that momentarily stray over already devisively low speed limits. Surely not.
When will the police actually go after real criminals instead of finding new and devious ways to repeatedly bully soft targets like us road users?
For starters, jaywalking is an american thing, where cars are considered more important than people.
In the UK you can walk on the street if you want. Except for those new-fangled motorways that they put up in the 20th century.
Other non-crimes or differences from US include simple trespass, gambling (over 16 or 18 I'm not sure), sex (over 16), drinking (over 18, was 16 when with a meal) and prostitution (over 18, was 16).
Of course the government and local councils have pushed back on that recently with "ASBO"s which can turn non-crimes into crimes..., and new crimes have been added, like smoking (just about anywhere).
Your description sounds like every hollywood film about cops in small town america with nothing better to do than harass outsiders.
Is this really what my grandad fought to defend with is life in world war 2?
Lots of people are using jaywalking as an example non-crime in these comments. Just so you all know, jaywalking is not generally against UK law; the only places you can't do it are motorways (where anyone going less than 50mph will cause problems), railway crossings while the barrier is down, and small patches of road next to lit pedestrian crossings. Everywhere else, it's your judgement.
Now, for the technology itself, I think it will help catch a lot of minor criminals, rural fly-tippers, and an unexpectedly large number of farm-animal-fancying zoophiles, but it will have very little effect on organised crime. Why? Dazzle from small lasers. What's the cost of a CD/DVD burner?
I don't like perfect surveillance - this country has too many laws for any one person to know, so I have no idea if I'm breaking any or not.
Racism is not the same as being wrong, you can be a racist and right at the same time.
Besides there is a large gray area between racism and being culturally invaded.