Military spy drones to be used by scotland police. (SKYWAY PATROL)

COPS plan to launch their own SPY PLANES in a hi-tech bid to fight street crime, it was revealed last night.

Scotland's eight forces want to send two stealthy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - normally used in war zones - into the skies.

Merseyside cops are already trialling a remote-controlled helicopter fitted with CCTV and infrared.

But the move was last night slammed by civil liberty groups.

Read more: www.thescottishsun.co.uk...

what do you think about this ATS?

sure using these drones could be good for fighting crime and finding missing persons...or is the primary use (as i suspect) just to give that ever watchful big brother eye a better look at what everyone is doing? basically removing more of our privacy.

it starts with 2 drones...then 20...then 200...you see where im going with this.

just want peoples opinions thats all...........

reply to post by Silicis n Volvo

it starts with 2 drones...then 20...then 200...you see where im going with this

I doubt they could afford 200 drones.... maybe when they're produced on a production line in the future, but not yet.

it must be a rough area to consider even using these drones.

Originally posted by john124
reply to post by Silicis n Volvo

 

I doubt they could afford 200 drones.... maybe when they're produced on a production line in the future, but not yet.

it must be a rough area to consider even using these drones

which is why it starts with 2

read again...this is covering an entire country (obviously to start with 2 wont be able to cover it efficiently)... but they arent just covering a town here

[edit on 29-3-2010 by Silicis n Volvo]

reply to post by Silicis n Volvo

which is why it starts with 2

I know, therefore no need to worry.

perhaps these drones will help get the drug dealers put into jail.

reply to post by Silicis n Volvo


I distrust this technology but at the same time I can see that it would be very useful in regard to patrolling the crowds that enjoy football matches and other events of similar nature but even then I am uneasy. I think that this is a mismanagement of resources as already it is extremely rare to see a police officer on Edinburgh streets so much so that when I do see them I do a double take.

I would therefore think it would be a better usage of tax payer’s money to have more police officers out on the streets rather than indoors squeaking under a backlog of administration and red tape. I think that it would be wiser to fix what is broken first before buying more toys and that would be much more advantageous and respectful to the taxpaying public because the system of policing as it stands and in my opinion is not working correctly and trust is becoming a casualty in this context.

The police here are going through some tough times at the moment and cuts are on the horizon. I wonder how many undermanned, overworked stations are out there. It therefore seems ridiculous that money would be spent on these spies in the sky and at the same time to cut police numbers. This in my opinion is a new found love of technology that will further alienate the public from the police and will this new love of technology as an example being a spy in the sky help to cut reduce crime? This is Scotland not the Wild West, Afghanistan or Iraq and this is not an alternate 1984 universe.

I think the nature of the why is in the name of the toys and it may be more about spying in the very real sense of the word rather than honest policing for the public good but I hope to be proved wrong.

A Scottish police forum for interest




[edit on 29-3-2010 by SmokeJaguar67]

Didn`t merseyside police have to stop using them because they were breaking some law ?
I`m sure i saw it on the news a week or so ago.

reply to post by muckyman


Unlicensed spy drone grounded

I assumed when the news broke that this would be a temporary glitch for the police and that eventually the machines would be in the sky come what may as I cannot see a little thing like regulations - the rest of us must follow- being a permanent obstacle to the benefits such technology would bring to a government sanctioned voyeur.

Yes I am more than a little cynical regarding these spy drones.

[edit on 29-3-2010 by SmokeJaguar67]

Originally posted by john124
reply to post by Silicis n Volvo

 

which is why it starts with 2

I know, therefore no need to worry.

perhaps these drones will help get the drug dealers put into jail.

Drone planes, like CCTV, won't really catch organised criminals persay. They'll just adapt. Besides, many of the organised crime gangs in the country have their help from within the forces. Drones and CCTV will only provide us with more Bravo-esque TV shows showing us police chases and drunken yobs and petty criminals fleeing the clutches of a target-driven police force. They used to be good shows but boring now. Since the explosion of CCTV installation there has also been an explosion in crime...what does that tell you?

The drones will help with regards to surveillance on sting-ops, cut costs with regards to fuel, wages, insurance, man hours...they will help to make some aeronautics/defence firms richer. But in my opinion, I don't see drones making a major impact on the organised crime syndicates but I do see the strong possibility of more being released to the skies.

In my area (the same all over the UK), every weekend, there are youngsters out drinking and gang fighting. Some weekends there are two helicopters out and about patrolling the skies as well as fleets of police vans, cars, dog-handlers and yet, this still happens every weekend. And I do mean every weekend and during the week too at times. These kids aren't even organised... there are more police on the streets nowadays, more CCTV, more helicopters, more dogs, we now have Community Wardens yet there are more stabbings, slashings, shootings, murders, rapes, gang fights - you name it. I can't see crime being affected too much by putting more air-support up considering our increase in almost every other area of crime-fighting with no real effect.

reply to post by john124


They are made on a "production line." Not in the future. Today.
But, back to the topic, UAVs are not really tasked with this type of mission. Local law enforcement needs to be just that, local, close-up.
Maybe in limited roles? Like high-speed chases or as a trip-wire type thing - to let you know when a target leaves the building/area. Sorry. I just don't see these being the big threat to privacy they're being made out to be.
There are much easier/cheaper and more effective ways to invade your privacy...

Originally posted by muckyman
Didn`t merseyside police have to stop using them because they were breaking some law ?
I`m sure i saw it on the news a week or so ago.

Yes - even though they were warned by the LMA (large Model Association ) and other various RC model groups that they needed CAA approval and licenses.

There was even an article about what they needed to do in RCME a year ago

They took NO notice and went ahead anyway - literally above the law.

I hope the CAA bring a proper prosecution against them - after all the 2 suspects they caught the week before will now get off scot free as any evidence in now inadmissable.

If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear, if it just saves one child's life....

these things lead to a slippery slope, surveilance is never rolled back only increased