Look out!
With all the concern over the militarization of police in the past year, no one noticed that the state became the first in the union to allow police to equip drones with “less than lethal” weapons. House Bill 1328 wasn’t drafted that way, but then a lobbyist representing law enforcement—tight with a booming drone industry—got his hands on it.
The bill’s stated intent was to require police to obtain a search warrant from a judge in order to use a drone to search for criminal evidence. In fact, the original draft of Rep. Rick Becker’s bill would have banned all weapons on police drones.
Then Bruce Burkett of North Dakota Peace Officer’s Association was allowed by the state house committee to amend HB 1328 and limit the prohibition only to lethal weapons. “Less than lethal” weapons like rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, sound cannons, and Tasers are therefore permitted on police drones.
This shit in cop's hands at a time when they are digging in to their 'right' to abuse, terrorize, injure and kill people. It's like the last thing they needed.
Nothing in the law about "only those good cops can use them".
And as always, there's a good bit more to this but fair use blocks me from including it.
Also in this informative article is the fact that the sheriff's department there has been using camera drones from quite some time, they do not believe they need a warrant to use them for snooping, the feel they need the drones to snoop so they can get a warrant and they are lying about the number of 'drone missions" they have done in the recent years.
It appears the need to get warrants and follow the rules is somehow stifling the development of the drone business.
Go read the article and wax poetic on cops with armed drones in the comment section.
