UK Police Plan To Use Military-Style Spy Drones 390
krou writes "According to documents obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act, the UK police plan on deploying unmanned drones in the UK to 'revolutionize policing' and extend domestic 'surveillance, monitoring and evidence gathering,' which will be used in 'the routine work of the police, border authorities and other government agencies.' The documents come from the South Coast Partnership, 'a Home Office-backed project in which Kent police and others are developing a national drone plan' in conjunction with BAE Systems. The stated aim is to introduce the system in time for the 2012 Olympics. Initially, Kent police stated that the system would be used to monitor shipping lanes and illegal immigrants, but the documents reveal that this was part of a PR strategy: 'There is potential for these [maritime] uses to be projected as a "good news" story to the public rather than more "big brother."' However, the documents talk about a much wider range of usage, such as '[detecting] theft from cash machines, preventing theft of tractors and monitoring antisocial driving,' as well as 'road and railway monitoring, search and rescue, event security and covert urban surveillance.' Also, due to the expense involved, it has also been suggested that some data could be sold off to private companies, or the drones could be used for commercial purposes."
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:5, Funny)
first beating caught on video.
Oops.. I meant to say first beating by police caught on video.
Re:Commercial purposes? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:3, Funny)
How about the first beating off by police caught on video?
Antisocial driving? (Score:5, Funny)
preventing theft of tractors and monitoring antisocial driving
What the heck is 'antisocial driving'? A car driving separate from the other cars because it is shy and lacks social skills?
Re:Missing Tag (Score:4, Funny)
Why not arm them while we are at it, after all its for the children.
Indeed. Evil Britons won't try sneaking recyclables into their garbage bin when they know there may be a Hellfire missile pointing their way.
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:4, Funny)
The State Surveilance Handbook. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:3, Funny)
The Citadel projects an energy field that is able to prevent human reproduction
Sweet! I can stop wasting money on rubbers!
Re:The State Surveilance Handbook. (Score:4, Funny)
Politicians take note: George Orwell's Ninteen Eighty-Four is not a manual for statecraft.
That's just paranoia and coincidence. They really do have your best interests in mind. And they do hope you'll be showing up at the patriotism rally the day the citizen-protecting drones are launched from Airstrip One.
Re:The State Surveilance Handbook. (Score:3, Funny)
Don't mind him. I hear he was spotted carrying a heavy black volume, amateurishly bound, with no name or title on the cover. [wikipedia.org].
Re:Commercial purposes? (Score:4, Funny)
Great Britain, I'd like to introduce you to this American invention we call the "cowboy hat". It's related to some older technology (the sombrero) and serves to protect the face (and neck) from sunburn and observation by aerial surveillance drones.
American, I'd like to introduce you to this great British invention we call the "hoodie". It's related to some older technology (the hooded cloak) and serves to protect the body from cold and the face from observation by CCTV & aerial surveillance drones.
Re:There's Only One Way To Boil A Frog (Score:2, Funny)
I would assume the British do. They boil every other kind of meat...
Crop circles? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Commercial purposes? (Score:3, Funny)
The cowboy hat makes you look like a moron.
Not if you wear the accompanying handlebar mustache. What you're married? Be a man, grow a lip ferret!
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:2, Funny)