Free Republic

Each day, the Chula Vista police respond to as many as 15 emergency calls with a drone, launching more than 4,100 flights since the program began two years ago. But the latest drone technology...has the power to transform everyday policing... Rather than spending tens of millions of dollars on large helicopters and pilots, even small police forces could operate tiny autonomous drones for a relative pittance. Government regulations require that a certified pilot remain on the roof of the Police Department, overseeing the launch and, together with a police officer at a command station inside the building, handling most of...

For every Chicago Bulls home game during Michael Jordan's career, first at Chicago Stadium and then at the United Center, he was welcomed onto the court with the same introduction song: “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project. Parsons had released the instrumental track in 1982, using it as the opening song for his Eye in the Sky album. Two years later, a Chicago disc jockey named Tommy Edwards was settling in at a local movie theater when “Sirius” began playing over the cinema’s speaker system. “I know this song,” the longtime radio personality recalled to NBC Sports. “It’s ‘Sirius’ by...

I just finished watching "Eye in the Sky" starring Helen Mirren, the late Alan Rickman, and some other excellent actors. The movie is notable because it clearly illustrates how the military of countries like the U.S. and Britain have to wage war with their hands tied due to political fallout. I was flabbergasted as I watched to see that every single darn move the military wanted to make on some high value, long-sought Muzzie baddies had to be cleared by ever-higher political nabobs, even when mini drone cameras showed them suiting up in suicide vests and likely to leave the...

CLEVELAND -- Red-light cameras installed at Cleveland intersections have become controversial. 5 On Your Side chief investigator Duane Pohlman said flashes are oftentimes the only clue the cameras caught cars speeding or running red lights. Confirmation arrives later as a ticket in the mail, with a $100 fine. The cameras are triggering key questions before Ohio's highest court. "We are starting to lose our freedom," one motorist said. At the very least, motorists said these devices are just plain unfair. "I think we should get rid of them," another motorist said. For the past six months, 5 On Your Side...

The San Francisco Police Commission on Wednesday night approved Mayor Gavin Newsom's request to add surveillance cameras at eight additional high-crime street corners. The 25 new cameras will be added to the 33 already in place at 14 locations. After a four-hour City Hall hearing that drew more than 100 people, the commission voted 5-0 to approve the cameras, with two members absent. Members, though, conceded that they do not yet know whether the anti-crime cameras are effective. They expressed disappointment that the mayor's office had not provided more information about whether the existing cameras have deterred crime. "I'm willing...

They are meant to reduce crime by helping police spot problems. By the end of the year, 40 cameras will cover 31 locations in the area. It's part of a plan first announced in January by Dallas Police. Grant money will cover the 840-thousand dollar price tag for the cameras. Police will monitor the cameras from their headquarters and City Hall. Some residents feel apprehensive about the surveillance, seeing it as an invasion of privacy. But others say the cameras could help curb petty crime and random violence.

(New Haven-WTNH, Sept. 19, 2006 10:45 PM) _ A student's refusal to walk through a safety detector earns him a trip home. For some the installation of metal detectors in schools is to better protect those inside. One New Haven student is refusing to walk the walk, questioning whether his rights are being violated. The district says it is like the right to enter a courtroom or get on a plane. It's new policy to keep young people safe. For this New Haven student it's all about his fourth amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Nick...

The District has begun using surveillance cameras to keep an electronic eye out for illegal dumpers, riling advocates of civil liberties who call the tactic intrusive and unconstitutional. About a half-dozen of the portable, motion-sensor cameras are monitoring alleys and abandoned lots. Their quarry: those who dump industrial and hazardous waste on public property. Metropolitan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey yesterday said illegal dumping is a "huge" problem but directed questions about the cameras to the Department of Public Works, the agency in charge of the program...