Add Seattle to the list of cities saying no to drones:
Mayor Mike McGinn today announced he is permanently grounding the Seattle Police Department’s proposed aerial drone program.
“Today I spoke with Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and we agreed that it was time to end the unmanned aerial vehicle program, so that SPD can focus its resources on public safety and the community building work that is the department’s priority. The vehicles will be returned to the vendor,” McGinn said in a statement.
Looks like speaking-up about it helped:
But during a community meeting last fall and a public hearing on Wednesday night, opponents voiced strong opposition to the program, citing privacy concerns. Opponents included the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington.
“We’re pleased with the mayor’s action. It’s a wise decision,” Doug Honig, spokesman for the ACLU, said this afternoon. “Drones would have given police unprecedented abilities to engage in surveillance and intrude on people’s privacy.”
A few legitimate uses for these things were listed in the Seattle Times article linked above, but in my opinion, the slope certainly does look more slippery than the benefit looks essential.
Not to mention, we've got enough activity happening in the skies around here as it is — helicopters, Cessna hobbyists buzzing around every direction, Boeing testing airplanes non-stop — all we need is yet another flying contraption hovering around providing an irresistible target for some sniper to practice on. Maybe this is less likely than I imagine it would be, but it seems possible, especially when they start buzzing around some militia's compound.
Hopefully this will happen:
Going forward, Honig said the ACLU of Washington still hopes to see legislation placing restrictions on the acquisition and use of drones by law enforcement statewide.
Because I'm not interested in drones flying over my head here in nearby Bellevue either. This is one of those things that I can see proliferating out-of-control if we don't draw some lines in the sand now, before some drone manufacturing lobby in DC starts fighting regulations tooth-and-nail, and starts trying to sell them to every small town in the country that otherwise wouldn't need them.