[live+let_live]

I was probed I tell you. This black saucer landed and took me aboard...

[stevie_d_64]

Interesting...I recall earlier this year that the Houston Police Department somehow was “flush” with an extra $60 million plus dollars in the budget that everyone from beat cops, to the upper eschelon desk jockeys were pleased to know they had on hand...

And everyone media, police, public and local government were looking to see new classes of recruits and more cops on the street and overtime that would be covered by this money...

I have a pretty good “gut” feeling that the money went to go buy these toys...

The calls will start Monday...

[steve86]

It would have been fun to attempt to jam the RPV’s control signal. Would rapidly make it apparent how robust the signal is and whether there were autonomous piloting capabilities. Probably uses both advanced digitized frequency skipping and spread spectrum along with autonomous recovery capability, at least in the military versions.

[Viking2002]

What's the over/under on some crack dealer shooting the first one down by spring?

[stevie_d_64]

http://www.insitu.com/

You have to really wonder why...

Even though we know the answer...

The more they keep pushing back the edge of the envelope and no one questions just the expendature of funds to this stuff, much less the interusiveness of it...

The Assistant Police Chief (or Captain in charge of some stupid thing or department) really showed her true poop when she mentioned that its no more intrusive than a helicopter flying around doing the “same” thing...

Not that I have anything to hide, but they have no reason to look!

[A.A. Cunningham]

Shouldn't require much testing, just enough to familiarize the civil servants with its capabilities and see if they want to write the check. The Marine Corps has been using these Scan Eagle UAVs for several years and one of them captured exculpatory video of the Haditha Marines. Much cheaper to operate than a chopper as well.

[SandRat]

HPD leaders said they would address privacy and unlawful search questions later.

South Texas College of Law professor Rocky Rhodes, who teaches the constitution and privacy issues, said, "One issue is going to be law enforcement using this and when, by using these drones, are they conducting a search in which they'd need probable cause or a warrant. If the drones are being used to get into private spaces and be able to view where the government cannot otherwise go, and to collect information that would not otherwise be able to collect, that's concerning to me."

Can already hear the ACLU keyboard keys clicking away for a Court Challenge.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Not sure if the local PDs should have drones with Hellfire missiles.

[traviskicks]

bookmark

[Release]

So maybe you posters can help me figure out the difference between a patrol car and patrol plane doing law enforcement? Both enforcements are done outside in public space.

[EGPWS]

Houston police started testing unmanned aircraft and the event was shrouded in secrecy, but it was captured on tape by Local 2 Investigates.

Stealth technology must not be a part of this particular unmanned aircraft. ; )

[Starwolf]

They are not the first cop shop to look at these and will not be the first to get shut down. They CAN NOT operate it legally as currently defined by the FAA since it can not see and avoid other traffic like helos and light planes.

PR stunt and nothing more.

[weegee]

HPD has some new toys. Somehow I don’t feel one iota safer.

[weegee]

The what and why of it. Look at the final bit...

Montalvo told reporters the unmanned aircraft would be used for "mobility" or traffic issues, evacuations during storms, homeland security, search and rescue, and also "tactical." She admitted that could include covert police actions and she said she was not ruling out someday using the drones for writing traffic tickets.

[wysiwyg]

Typical police “There’s nothing to see here. Move along!” tactics:

Houston police contacted KPRC from the test site, claiming the entire airspace was restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Police even threatened action from the FAA if the Local 2 helicopter remained in the area. However, KPRC reported it had already checked with the FAA on numerous occasions and found no flight restrictions around the site, a point conceded by Montalvo.

I could’ve smelled that lie a mile away.

[Eye of Unk]

I do believe there is a Muslim group living north of Houston, last I heard they were going to build a Mosque and the locals were going to have pig races next door.

I can understand having these UAVs circling over any Islamic camps here in the US or down on the border, as far in as such for drug interdiction and or crop spotting why would anyone want to stop that?