VA Governor Wants Military Drones For Police 183
New submitter Screen404-O writes "During a radio interview, Virginia governor Bob McDonnell suggested that using unmanned drones to assist police would be 'great' and 'the right thing to do.' 'Increased safety and reduced manpower are among the reasons the U.S. military and intelligence community use drones on the battlefield, which is why it should be considered in Virginia, he says. ... McDonnell added Tuesday it will prove important to ensure the state maintains Americans' civil liberties, such as privacy, if it adds drones to its law enforcement arsenal.' Is this the next step toward militarizing our law enforcement agencies? How exactly can they ensure our privacy, when even the Air Force can't?"
Re:Papers please (Score:5, Interesting)
Follow the Iranian lead: jam the GPS, land it in a field, and reprogram "home". They don't "have the manpower" to track you down, do they?
For years you Americans have been saying that you can't outgun the military because they have gunships and drones. Well fuck man, they're going to just hand over drones to use as you see fit.
Balance.
Re:From this Governor (Score:5, Interesting)
. "Not 'Top of the list' important", McDonnell continued, "but up there with other priorities I share with the VA GOP, like the environment, public education, and a woman's right to choose."
i would rather... (Score:2, Interesting)
search and rescue have them
Northrup Grumman (Score:5, Interesting)
I am sure this has absolutely nothing to do with the move or Northrop Grumman's corporate HQ to Virgina in 2010, but only after a bunch of "meetings" with McDonnel.
Nope, not a thing.
In fact, I am sure Grumman is not going to win any of these contracts.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/apr/26/grumgat26_20100426-184201-ar-156839/ [timesdispatch.com]
Re:They just want some shiny new toys (Score:5, Interesting)
As someone who works for a company that builds drones... you are absolutely correct.
They have a time and a place where they are useful, but there's a time and a place where they're NOT. I could maybe see them being useful along the border, where exists many miles of barren-ass desert (south) or frozen-ass tundra (north) that would be difficult for a human to patrol... but if you want a military-grade weapon walking your beat down the local Main Street, fuck right off.
If anything, more cops need to be out and about bolstering public image. Walk your beat (or ride a bike), help people and generally don't be a douche. You'll be amazed at what some sweet PR can do for you.