The Los Angeles Police Department has obtained two Draganflyer X6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, according to Chief Charlie Beck. (pictured above). (Photo courtesy Draganfly Innovations Inc)
Posted on 06/05/2014 2:53:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police may soon begin using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during manhunts, standoffs and other “tactical events”, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said Thursday.
The LAPD obtained two UAVs – otherwise known as drones – from the Seattle Police Department last week at no cost to the city, according to officials.
The Seattle Police Department originally purchased the Draganflyer X6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles using federal grants. The drones are currently being kept at an undisclosed federal law enforcement facility “pending review by the LAPD and the Board of Police Commissioners” and the public, according to the LAPD.
Each remote-controlled copter is about three feet in width, has three rotors and is equipped to carry a video camera.
During a news conference Thursday at LAPD headquarters, Chief Beck said the UAVs could be used in police “standoffs, perimeters, suspects hiding…we’re interested in those applications.”
He also defended the decision by the LAPD to pursue the drones by pointing to the fact that such devices are already “in the hands of private citizens” and businesses.
“When retailers start talking about using them to deliver packages, we would be silly not to at least have a discussion of whether we want to use them in law enforcement,” Beck said.
Last December, private companies such as UPS and Amazon announced they would begin flight-testing drones to possibly use them for deliveries.
The department plans to work closely with the American Civil Liberties Union to ensure the drones would not infringe on individual privacy rights, Beck said.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the devices – which will first undergo a “vetting process”, according to Beck – would make their LAPD debut. The police chief noted that he is “in absolutely no hurry whatsoever to deploy these instruments.”
The LAPD must first obtain a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration before the aircraft can be used, and that application process is in the very preliminary stages, police said last week.
PULL!
Wow, can’t believe nobody saw this coming.
I already feel like I have a helicopter landing strip on my roof. Helicopters .... many helicopters at a time ... all circling my house at night.
Sharper Image goes Gestapo.
Browning BT99. I want one of these drone things, if the law has em I may need one someday.
Why don’t we just call police forces what they really are, a civilian standing army. They are not on our side.
Small game birdshot from 75 yards should do nicely.
Soon drones will be wearing badges, and when they get shot down, will have full police honor funerals.....and people will spend DECADES in prison.
Wonder how impervious they are to concentrated and directed EMI. Sort of like jamming. At least interfere with its control and communications. And maybe even damage it.
Of course, then the FCC would be after you in addition to the police.
What type of device would generate a short range. directional electromagnetic pulse?
The military versions are a different story because they are probably hardened.
Don't the police use something similar to disable a car by attacking it's electronics? Same idea. Implementation is probably different, though.
How many dogs can it spot?
This way the police can play a video game of “kill the family pet”.
Has anyone else noticed that the police forces are changing more into brown uniformed forces than the traditional blue suits? Obama's "Brown Shirts???"
Don't do much bird hunting, huh?
Nope. Just rats and squirrels. But it shouldn’t take much to knock one of those things out of commission.
What’s important is that the drones return safely to their hangar each day....
Assuming a small drone to be more durable that a clay, it would seem logical that BB or heavier loads would be needed. And that means far fewer shot, thus MUCH harder to get a meaningful hit. And collateral damage would also rise.
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