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Texas Sheriffs Crash $250k Drone They're Not Supposed To Be Flying

Posted by Soulskill on from the reportedly-called-the-experience-"wicked-sweet" dept.

SpaceGhost writes: "The Houston Chronicle reveals that Friday morning a $250,000 drone was lost by the Sheriff's department in Lake Conroe (just north of Houston.) Divers have been searching for the drone. What's more, the drone is reportedly over the FAA's 25-pound weight limit, so they shouldn't have been flying it in the first place (the Chronicle says 49 pounds, the Montgomery County Police Reporter says 29 pounds — either way, it's too heavy). The MCPR article goes on to discuss the recently passed Texas Legislature House Bill 912 which restricts the use of drones to observe private property, likely influenced by the January 2012 discovery of illegal pig blood runoff and subsequent indictment."

20 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Cops do whatever they want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and justify it with liberal interpretation of probable cause later.

    Then a fearful and ignorant populace allow them to keep doing it.

    1. Re:Cops do whatever they want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is one of the saddest truths about our society police should be held to a higher standard with stricter punishments than those applied to regular civilians. But instead they are rarely criminally charged for criminal actives and even more rarely convicted and sentenced on par with regular civilian criminals

    2. Re:Cops do whatever they want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      They had probable cause that some guys on the ground were using an overweight drone unlawfully.

    3. Re:Cops do whatever they want by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 2

      That is what you get when you fed drones on a diet of doughnuts!

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    4. Re:Cops do whatever they want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      "But instead they are rarely criminally charged for criminal actives and even more rarely convicted and sentenced on par with regular civilian criminals"

      They protect the rich and powerful, what were you expecting? The police and military have always been the gangsters for capitalism. Who was it that attacked the civil rights movement again?

  2. Texas Rangers by jonyen · · Score: 2

    The eyes of the ranger are upon you, and they're quite heavy.

    1. Re:Texas Rangers by arth1 · · Score: 5, Funny

      The eyes of the ranger are upon you, and they're quite heavy.

      The eyes, or the rangers?

  3. Who will watch these selfsame watchers? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    True in Roman times.

    True in Victorian times.

    True today.

    Note to America: That which removes your freedoms out of fear makes you Weaker, not Stronger.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Who will watch these selfsame watchers? by rossdee · · Score: 2

      No, the first in line is the Sirius Cybernetic Corp

    2. Re:Who will watch these selfsame watchers? by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 5, Funny

      Who will watch the watchers? That's easy -- private drones under the 25lb weight limit.

    3. Re:Who will watch these selfsame watchers? by mjwx · · Score: 3, Funny

      Who will watch the watchers?

      WeightWatchers perhaps?

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  4. I see what you did there! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

    While privacy is preferred, if there is to be a panopticon, it must be one everyone can look through, not just government i.e. people in power.

    "With warrant" is not enough -- not when all it takes is one corrupt lackey to abuse it on the orders of a politician.

    A drone is just one of many aspects to this new tool of dictatorship...especially when only government can use it.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    1. Re:I see what you did there! by arth1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "With warrant" is not enough -- not when all it takes is one corrupt lackey to abuse it on the orders of a politician.

      As far as I can tell, our police is perfectly capable of exceeding their authorities without orders from a politician.

  5. Well, it's Texas by Krishnoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    the Chronicle says 49 pounds, the Montgomery County Police Reporter says 29 pounds — either way, it's too heavy

    Shouldn't they deserve a special exception from the FAA's weight limit? After all, everything's bigger in Texas.

  6. Famous Texas saying...... by Bravoc · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Hold my beer and watch this!"

    1. Re:Famous Texas saying...... by sribe · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's not a famous "saying", it's famous "LAST WORDS" ;-)

  7. Privacy to pollute by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Most of the noise about drones and "privacy" is astroturf campaigns funded by industrial polluters who don't want to get caught.

  8. Silly people by penguinoid · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Don't you know that laws don't apply to government officials?

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  9. Looking in a lake .... by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..... for a 29 pound drone. No, it was 49 pounds.

    Sounds like a fishing story to me.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  10. Looks more like an army. by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Looks more like an army than a police department.