Longmont Police up the Ante with Drones

Everyday people are finding new ways to use drones to their advantage. For example, Longmont police in Colorado are planning on using drones to map out vehicle crashes, crime scenes, and even locate people using thermal imaging. $42,000 is being invested into only four drones, but the necessary software and technology actually costs more than the drones themselves. Luckily, Longmont police know exactly how they want to use these aircraft gadgets. They also envision the drones playing a significant role during investigations because they are able to see things that humans just can’t.

We already see drones in use today for the military, but now drones are expanding to new sectors. What drones are capable of is amazing, but rather them taking over our jobs, they are actually helping us do our jobs better and more efficiently. The Longmont police will be able to get a visual of traffic accidents and crime scenes faster with drones than it takes them to travel to the location. This allows the police to assess the situation more quickly and more closely. Obviously the drones won’t be able to physically help in those types of situations if someone is hurt or needs rescue, but its’ presence nonetheless would be beneficial for law enforcement.

I think drones are a great idea for police because their goal is to protect as many people as possible, and drones can act as an additional officer in the sky. It’s a huge upgrade for the men and women in blue uniforms as crimes occur way too often in many locations. What is interesting the most to me is that drones will be able to detect and locate missing people and criminals that police want to find. We see manhunts on the news every now and then, but they take multiple days or even weeks with just officers searching on the ground. Drones should be able to find those people whether they’re inside a building or not, and that will save a lot of time. There is the security and privacy issue with drones if they can see inside anyone’s house, but if we just think about it for police and investigation purposes only, then it’s a great improvement from what we currently have.

Sources:

http://www.timescall.com/longmont-local-news/ci_31615194/longmont-seeking-input-polices-drones

https://idealog.co.nz/tech/2015/08/five-things-drones-are-used-arent-firing-missiles-delivering-amazon-orders-or-annoying-neighbours

3 thoughts on “Longmont Police up the Ante with Drones

  1. Drones are the future and I am glad they are starting to be implemented into our daily lives. Drones facilitate the lives of us all and they might end up taking some of our jobs one day. Although this sounds negative, this also opens opportunities for new jobs as well; a positive note for the economy. In addition to providing an eye in the sky for the police, drones can help the police to evaluate if crime scenes are safe or not. They can go inside the crime scene and see if there are bio-chemical hazards or armed people still there before the humans enter the crime scene. I think drones are a very positive thing for society.

  2. Drones have been used in law enforcement for several years now. Tijuana officials have used drones to monitor the city, essentially using the devices to multiply their police force. They are used in areas of high tourist populations, neighborhood watches, and where burglaries and theft are common. One drone can patrol the area of twenty officers, but it cannot do the officers’ jobs for them. Human intervention will still be necessary for a criminal to be caught.
    While it might be beneficial to have eyes in the sky, the ethical considerations come into play when considering privacy. If our local police departments employed such technology, would residents feel wary or welcoming? Some may argue that it would be just the same as having police patrolling the streets. However, a drone is not a human being. It cannot stop a crime. It can merely “watch,” sending a video stream to humans viewing the video, who can then deploy units to the scene. That video could be analyzed and archived for future use. As we progress in technology, it will certainly be interesting to see its involvement in law enforcement progress as well.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/01/28/police-drones-tijuana-mexico/4951075/

  3. I can see why police would want to implement drone technology. They can help survey the area in various ways. They can help monitor crowds, people of interest, or traffic. They can also assist officers in critical situations such as an active shooter or bomb threat case.

    However, there are some concerns that certain communities would have. For example, some neighborhoods may see heavy surveillance. This would likely be considered a form of discrimination, but I am unsure if the laws would be caught up enough in order to prevent such actions from taking place.

    Despite the negative possibilities, dones will still be beneficial to departments in order to find people who have fled the scene. They could also assist in locating stolen goods more quickly or with other tasks that are dangerous for people.

    https://www.recode.net/2017/4/6/15209290/police-fire-department-acquired-drone-us-flying-robot-law-enforcement
    https://www.policeone.com/police-products/Police-Drones/articles/9502450-5-ways-drones-can-help-cops-fight-crime/

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