Posted on 08/31/2023 5:36:47 PM PDT by Reno89519
Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone.
The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.
“If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference.
The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance
“... “Deploying drones in this way is a sci-fi inspired scenario.”
...
Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has said he wants to see police further embrace the “endless” potential of drones...
But as the technology proliferates, privacy advocates say regulations have not kept up, opening the door to intrusive surveillance that would be illegal if conducted by a human police officer.
“One of the biggest concerns with the rush to roll out new forms of aerial surveillance is how few protections we have against seeing these cameras aimed at our backyards or even our bedrooms,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP).
...
“Clearly, flying a drone over a backyard barbecue is a step too far for many New Yorkers,” Cahn said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Sounds racist.
A laser pointer at the camera?
Yes, I be they won’t be around the nicer neighborhoods, the rooftops, etc.
I wonder if there might be some DARPA money or grants etc. to develop non-lethal means of downing drones?
Cool. Target practice.
https://www.venuesnyc.com/blog/permits-licenses-required-for-events-in-NYC
If folks don’t like it, they need to get a permit, or change the law.
Get a permit to hold a backyard barbeque?! No way.
Someone needs to design a drone jamming device and crash them into the ground.
Jam the drone frequencies.
Interestingly, I didn’t see anything at that link, maybe I missed it, that lays out what constitutes a large crowd.
Let’s put it this way, if you’ve gone to the trouble of going through all that BS at the link, the fuzz won’t likely bug you.
If you can’t be bothered, expect a visit.
If I got an invite from both, guess which one I’d steer clear of?
Is it now illegal to have fun in one’s own backyard?
Those drones won’t be coming back.
FWIW, and I’m no fan of the fuzz anymore, but I don’t think they’re gonna be bugging backyard grillers having a few friends over for a bite.
I think they’re trying to deter who and what we all think they’re trying to deter without actually having to show up to do it.
Note to the po-po: Good luck with that.
👍
Complete loss of privacy which is the complete loss of freedom. Whatever happened to “they can’t tell us what we can do with our bodies” crowd?
Is there a law on the books in New York City prohibiting backyard parties?
Wait until the NYC mask mandate goes into effect.
no
I’ve seen a few of those Central Brooklyn get togethers. Coupled with the huge West Indian Day festivities the penchant for violence doesn’t just exist, it permeates. If drones give the NYPD a heads up then I’m in.
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