Comments on: Seattle cops want more drones to match the ones it doesn't use

By: Funk Daddy

Funk Daddy — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:52:00 +0000

“these drones don’t even shoot! How are we supposed to try out our new “Shock and Awe” policing procedure on the citizenry with UNARMED drones?”

By: awjt

awjt — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Police drone is watching you masturbate.

By: awjt

awjt — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:24:00 +0000

If that were true, ALL cities would have ALL equipment. There is a governance process. If you don’t like what’s going down, jump in. Convince others to stand with you. Make your complaints known.

By: C W

C W — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:05:00 +0000

And for infiltrating Food Not Bombs, don’t forget that.

By: unclezip

unclezip — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:04:00 +0000

…and drones to watch the drones watching the SPD.

By: C W

C W — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Except that the city is pretty darn safe and hasn’t been overrun by actual gangs (not that it has a ton to do with the SPD.)

By: SexBobOmb

SexBobOmb — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Are the drones going to watch the SPD? In that event, I can support it.

By: TheMudshark

TheMudshark — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:03:00 +0000

At least they would be in good company.

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:56:00 +0000

Tax dollars shouldn’t be spent on PBS, economic recovery, etc but toys for police departments? No prob.

By: howaboutthisdangit

howaboutthisdangit — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Voting down the city budget will take police off the streets. It will not stop police militarization which is mandated and payed for on the federal level.

By: GlyphGryph

GlyphGryph — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:43:00 +0000

How will that help anything? You think police funding, and projects like this, are likely to be the first on the chopping block? Or even on the chopping block at all?

Not in my experience – when city budgets get cut, it’s the community services that suffer. Some cities seem like they would rather shut the whole thing down than take a dime away from enforcement.

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:26:00 +0000

Uh, isn’t it October of 2012 now?

By: SedanChair

SedanChair — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Ask John T. Williams how much worse other police departments are. After a certain point relative badness doesn’t matter all that much.

By: awjt

awjt — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:52:00 +0000

Vote down the city budget, numbskull. It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, the spooks will pepper spray you in your bed. VOTE dangit, VOTE.

By: howaboutthisdangit

howaboutthisdangit — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:36:00 +0000

Yet another example of the Homeland Security Dash For Cash. Departments are militarizing and stockpiling goodies whether they need them or not, whether they are even allowed to use them or not.

No problem if these drones are obsolete by the time SPD is able to fly them; the taxpayer will buy shiny, new ones, whether they want to or not. It’s not like they can protest or anything, at least not without being pepper sprayed (by spray that they payed for) and labeled a terrorist.

By: Sebastian Spinczyk

Sebastian Spinczyk — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:19:00 +0000

I take it the dromes will be armed and flown by only the finest riggers. The Renraku Arco’ needs protection!

By: theophrastvs

theophrastvs — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:11:00 +0000

whoa… someone didn’t like their triple tall mocha this morning.

from someone who’s lived in seattle well…forever, i can at least suggest that there are other areas of the country with slightly worse police departments and this might be just a tiny bit of a hyperbolic characterization.

as to granting any police department unrestricted use of drone technology; i wouldn’t trust even the best in the country.

By: Jesseham

Jesseham — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:01:00 +0000

And actual gangs – don’t forget about those guys.

By: angusm

angusm — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:48:00 +0000

“But if we buy three more drones before October 31st, we get a free toaster! We have to act now!”

By: mjfgates

mjfgates — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:20:00 +0000

I love the FAA.

By: Stooge

Stooge — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Alas, a reasoned interpretation of the available data would have rendered the tactical pens gag a non sequitur, so…

By: Samuel

Samuel — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Obviously, they’re waiting until they get a report of some shadowrunners before deploying their drones.

By: anansi133

anansi133 — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:58:00 +0000

It’s not a huge mystery why they haven’t been deployed so far:

The FAA’s 2011 authorization (effective through April 2012) limited SPD drones to fly at altitudes below 400 feet within a quarter nautical mile of either Discovery Park or Magnuson Park, or within a half nautical mile of Jackson Cove.
The 2011 FAA certification also restricted SPD to operating its drones only within sight of a trained visual observer, and banned flying drones over “populated areas, heavily trafficked roads, or an open-air assembly of people.

Presumably the department isn’t going to update its guidelines until the FAA opens up more of the city.

By: unclezip

unclezip — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:42:00 +0000

They’re just being prepared for the inevitable. SPD is a useless sinkhole, and the city has been overrun by this criminal union gang.