Armed Law Enforcement Drones?

The issue of armed drones isn't as simple as it may sound or as easy as it may seem to block. When these were strictly the products of military forces, it wasn't a tough thing. Predators or other surplus drones couldn't be armed for domestic use. Easy enough....in theory anyway.

What happens when they are designed to be armed and specifically for domestic use right from the beginning?



The video tells the tale but to summarize the issue here, it's a matter of those gun pods you can see on the video shot carrying Taser shots, Non-Lethal rounds or these being able to deploy tear gas. In a word? NO, would be my first and last thoughts on that matter.

Drones for specific uses (Search and Rescue for instance) or by warrant as some Police organizations themselves have called for as basic levels of protection? That sounds reasonable. I simply draw the line in thinking when they become armed. Non-lethal or not. It's not a giant leap to go from one to the other, if non-lethal force isn't enough to object to.

What does everyone think? Any legitimate or good reasons people can see for armed law enforcement drones?

Who'd have thought Robocop would prove prophetic???

Actually I'm hoping that the people doing this have seen Robocop.....

Just peachy...
if one of those "accidentally" fires.. Just watch the cover ups on this. Jeez.

reply to post by Hefficide


I'm sort of hoping they haven't seen it. Wouldn't want to give them any deadly ideas they don't already have....

My guess is it won't be long before a vigilante group develops special drones of their own, to seek out and hunt down these 4th amendment-trashing, flying tyrants.

Yay.

Yes cause you have reasonable expectation of privacy in public. Oh yeah, you don't.

Any legitimate or good reasons people can see for armed law enforcement drones?

Well let's say you've got a barricaded whacko with a knife or gun. The police don't want to put themselves in the line of fire or have the guy kill himself. Fly in one of these, tase him, restrain him. I think this is a better option than a SWAT team in many cases.

At the same time, slippery slope. Also, the more removed someone is from the actual conflict the easier it becomes (I would guess) to kill/zap them too long etc. You're removed and it turns into more of a video game.