http://now.msn.com/christopher-dorner-is-first-drone-target-on-us-soil
Welp, they've authorized drones for the lapd killer. Not sure how I feel about this...
Apart from the fact that this news story was bunk, that drones have already been used for domestic surveillance as per Malek, and we can all agree that the idea of weaponizing drones for domestic purposes would be absolutely unacceptable.....it's time for a bit of devil's advocate.
Pretty much every big city police force already makes use of police helicopters, to assist in surveillance, track fugitives, offer support/intel to officers on the ground, participate in search and rescue, etc. And nobody has any issues with that.
So what is the difference between an aircraft conducting those roles with a pilot inside it, versus an aircraft that has a pilot controlling it from the ground? Why is it that we're supposed to encourage efficiencies in most human endeavours, but we should prevent law enforcement from utilizing efficient technologies? Especially in times of fiscal restraint when departments are facing unprecedented budgetary constraints.
I think there's a place for drones in domestic law enforcement as long as there are some clear policies that can be developed governing and limiting their use.