Gov.: Drones over Va. 'great'; cites battlefield success

[Judi Lynn]

Source: WTOP

Gov.: Drones over Va. 'great'; cites battlefield success
Tuesday - 5/29/2012, 12:21pm ET

Paul D. Shinkman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - Police drones flying over Virginia would be "great" and "the right thing to do" for the same reasons they are so effective in a battlefield environment, the state's chief executive said Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says he is open to any technology that makes law enforcement more productive. The use of drones, which was recently endorsed by the police chiefs of Fairfax County and D.C., would make better use of valuable police resources.

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.

~snip~
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.


Read more: http://www.wtop.com/120/2882193/Proven-in-battle-drones-great-for-Va

[liberal N proud]

1. The police state is closer than we think

[magic59]

23. The police state is here

With more private prisons for profit springing up all over the country police have become an arm of capitalism. Fascism, corporate state collaboration, is growing in ameriKa and nothing short of a revolution will stop it.

[msongs]

2. our enemies in DC/Congress will never "ensure" our civil liberties where drones are used nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. First, they can take pictures of the license plates

of all cars parked in the vicinity of gay bars. Won't Bob Marshall be happy?

[dotymed]

4. IMO, by the time information is filtered

Down to "us," it has already been in use for awhile.

[DeSwiss]

5. This clown wants to make law enforcement ''more productive''?

How about reducing crime altogether, you jerk!? You know, instead of spending $$ on drones, how bout we send people to school -- or maybe create jobs to repair and replace our rotten infrastructure?

What am I saying? This is the brain-dead Repuke!

Now I've gone and wasted all those words......

K&R

[mollerjay]

6. So distrurbing

[KoKo]

7. And Dem Rep Edward J. Markey says in letter to FAA:

From the article:

Drones over U.S. soil has turned some heads in Congress.

"The potential for invasive surveillance of daily activities with drone technology is high," wrote Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., in an April 19 letter to FAA. "We must ensure that as drones take flight in domestic airspace, they don't take off without privacy protections for those along their flight path."

[freshwest]

16. Needless to say, the next GOP running against him will call him weak on national security.

The only security they're interested in is the portfolio of their sponsors.

The Governor of VA signed their Republican Rape law into effect.

Yes, VA is in trouble.

[rayofreason]

8. Any ARMED drones? n/t

[lark]

10. That's in phase 2 when they come hunting for us agitators

[rayofreason]

11. A real concern. n/t

[alfredo]

9. Fuck the fascist Republicans.

[rayofreason]

13. Its not just Republicans...

...its anyone who wants more control over wards....I mean citizens.

[David__77]

15. There is just as great a danger from Democrats regarding these issues, if not more danger.

Democrats are hardly acting as staunch civil libertarians, with the exception of a minority.

[alfredo]

18. We have a duty to primary any lawmaker that wants to tighten the screws on us.

[Vidar]

17. Both parties are speeding past Orwell's dystopia.

[davidwparker]

12. See how much progress was rolled back by 9/11?

??HOP. Just saying.

[ileus]

14. how long before mini drones with cameras are flying over all of us?

[mwooldri]

25. Can happen right now for a few $$$.

Head on down to a store that sells radio-controlled toy aircraft, pick out a suitable vehicle and equip it with a camera.

A basic off-the-shelf, ready to fly kit will get you a plane you can control that has a video camera that records in flight and you have to retrieve the plane (and camera) afterwards but more sophisticated stuff is out there where civilians can get radio-controlled aircraft and watch live video. Unlike the military though, civilians have to be close by as us the general public do not have access to sophisticated satellite technology to do this.... having to rely instead on available means like cell phone transmission, or unlicensed spectrum usage like wifi.

[gratuitous]

19. Dear Governor Knucklehead

The United States isn't supposed to be a battlefield environment. Unless you're trying to create one.

[PSPS]

20. So now we're a "battlefield."

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.

That's kind of the situation in a nutshell. With the hyper-militarization of the police and our seemingly willing acceptance of a police state at the airport, we have become, in fact, a "battlefield." Our so-called police sees itself as an occupying force in a hostile environment. Hardly a day goes by without some murder or other act of unnecessary violence committed by a hyped-up cop, who then dutifully gets a paid vacation while the act is "investigated" and then casually rubber stamped as "justified."

[mwooldri]

21. He should have cited "speed limit enforced by aircraft".

Virginia *had* enforced speed limits by aircraft but was discontinued due to the cost. A drone program would obviously make it more cost effective to do this.

Unmanned airplanes can be useful to law enforcement. Yes they are cheaper and more stealthier than helicopters. I'm fine with a drone looking out for a mass murderer. If an unmanned aircraft or two replaces police helicopters presently in use and makes it cheaper to do the same thing the helicopters do, then I'm OK with that as it is a direct replacement for the helicopter.

The battlefield analogy though is a crappy one to use, has a load of negative connotations, and casts unmanned aircraft aka drones in a negative light. Armed drones would have to be a no-no. Purely got to be an eye in the sky.

Speaking of eyes in the sky - I don't know any laws that stop civilians from purchasing model aircraft, equipping them with cameras, and operating them.

The Gov of VA isn't exactly the best spokesperson for the use of unmanned aircraft, and his language is not the most appealing, but his arguments for using unmanned aircraft do have some validity.

[may3rd]

22. a disabled vet could do the work of 50 boots on the ground

I also see this has advantages over high speed police chases through populated areas.
But the consensus seems to be evil bomb dropping terminators .

ok.

[just1voice]

28. The Gov. of Virginia comment has no validity or attachment to reality

There are valid civilian uses for drones as well as numerous valid state uses for drones, although I don't see "mass murderer" searching as much of a concern. The Gov. of VA wants money and any way he sees drone usage as getting that money is fine with him. Anything resembling validity in any statement of his is just a rehearsed speech for idiot public consumption.

[47of74]

24. God, Transvaginal Bob is such a fucking idiot

[FarCenter Fan]

26. Romney's Perfect Veep.

[just1voice]

27. They could care less about "laws", they want money

They'll have drones flying over any street they can, targeting "speeders" and fining the public. The "battlefield environment" crap is to make it sound good to Virginia conservatives who see themselves as great warriors and patriots.

[Blue_Tires]

29. Also, I'm betting some of the drone components

are made by contractors in Va...So it's "good" for the state economy to keep that assembly line movin'