[AnotherUnixGeek]

Privacy advocates say the measure will lead to widespread use of drones for electronic surveillance by police agencies across the country

What possible justification can there be for this? There is no massive crime wave sweeping the nation - in fact the crime rate is the same as it was 40 years ago. And the murder rate is the lowest it's been since the Kennedy administration.

Police departments are like any other government bureaucracy - they seek relentlessly to expand their power, reach and budget. In the case of big city police departments, that apparently involves buying military equipment and using it against US citizens.

[bigfootbob]

Right, but I’ll bet the main focus of these will be used by your county department of development or whatever it’s called to monitor environmental issues like they currently use the GIS system for. We have a city in my county that uses GIS technology to make sure you don’t cut down any blackberry bushes or other vegetation without first getting your Mother May I request approved or have paid the proper permitting fees.

I can see many of these being launched and shot out of the air by homeowners.