Miami-Dade Police Drone Spotted Over Memorial Day Weekend Partiers

Gizmodo ^ | June 23, 2012 | BY ANDREW LISZEWSKI

[James C. Bennett]

After perfecting them overseas in military situations, it was only a matter of time before the government and law enforcement would start using aerial drones for monitoring US citizens back home. And that time is now, as partygoers in Miami recently discovered.

Back in January of 2011 Miami's police force acknowledged that they'd be the first in the country to employ camera-equipped drones to keep tabs on the city. So while its appearance isn't a complete surprise, this clip from YouTube user 'miamiearl' showing one of the drones monitoring partygoers at a recent Memorial Day weekend celebration, is still a little unsettling.

Of course, police departments all over the country have used camera-equipped helicopters to watch over their jurisdictions for years now. But these remote drones are able to fly a lot closer to the ground, which has citizens worried that the privacy they've enjoyed for years, or at least the feeling of privacy, is in jeopardy.

And it's not like this drone seen in Miami is just going to be a one-off occurrence. New FAA rules have given clearance for more drones to fill civilian skies over the coming years. So in the future, during your Fourth of July celebrations, you should probably get used to the idea of the skies being filled with drones, not just fireworks. [YouTube via Dave Winer via Dprogram.net via Prison Planet]

[TribalPrincess2U]

Just think had GW ordered these.

[TLI]

Gotcha drones covered...

.

[Logical me]

Some hacker will come up with an application that will override the police control and crash that damn thing. Time to get to work before we are totally devolved into a police state. Too bad those red light cameras are hard wired or that would be another good application.

[Chickensoup]

and they didnt shoot the sucker down?

Are there no men left?

[Traveler59]

Some hacker will come up with an application that will override the police control and crash that damn thing.

Let's see... An antenna attached to a spectrum analyzer (to determine uplink frequency), RF generator, yagi (directional) antenna, a little time, soon them suckers will be dropping faster than a locus swarm dusted with DDT.

[EEGator]

You at least need a flux capacitor.

[SharpRightTurn]

Patriot Act, TSA gropers, cameras at intersections, now drones.

It’s happening pretty fast in the land of the Free.

Rand Paul and others are trying to halt this acceleration of Big Brother, but I think too many of the sheeple are concentrating on reality TV and sports, or are drugged out, to care.

[Moonman62]

This seems like a blatant constitutional violation. Where is that right to privacy now?

How did this drone violate anybody's privacy?

[moovova]

Believe me...the men in that crowd had their eye on other targets that were closer at hand. Unfortunately, the targets were of the Holder persuasion...

[Star Traveler]

What does it take to shoot them down? Anyone have any news articles on that?

[nascarnation]

What does it take to shoot them down?

We're working on a home version of the Phalanx

Currently there's a slight problem when the radar locks on to a random Piper Cub

[Bratch]

FIM-92 Stinger

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

A little practice with a wrist-rocket should take care of these (without a “report”...)

[ravenwolf]

How did this drone violate anybody’s privacy?

---

How did the Jews become the ones up for extermination during world war two, just one little step at a time.

[bicyclerepair]

There’s a $300 laser that will fry its optics from any distance. Wish I had $20 in my pocket though.

[Moonman62]

The fact is this drone was taking pictures of people in a public place. No Constitutional rights were violated, nor was any law broken.

[elcid1970]

Do you suppose that’s how the Iranians snagged our drone, using spectrum analysis & the capture effect?

[elcid1970]

Do you suppose that’s how the Iranians snagged our drone, using spectrum analysis & the capture effect?

[Fast Moving Angel]

Do you suppose that’s how the Iranians snagged our drone, using spectrum analysis & the capture effect?

Maybe they just had a big wrist rocket ;-)

[VeniVidiVici]

That thing looks fake as hell.

The flying cat in #2 looks more capable.