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:3, Informative)
Huh? Infrared doesn't go through walls the last time I checked.
That depends on the frequency range of the detector. My company makes some parts for a military infrared binocular that can see people through concrete block walls.
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:5, Informative)
I don't have a problem with a drone recording it.
I would. It would be fun if the public gets access to the video recordings.
I'd set up a website offering a £1000 prize for the first beating caught on video.
The public never get access to police technology. Any evidence that the police have committed a crime magically disappears. The so called 'independent police complaints commission' perform whitewashes on anything that can't be made to disappear.
Police routinely search citizens without even the suspicion of a crime taking place. The UK is now a police state.
Personally I left and I'm very happy I did.
Re:There's Only One Way To Boil A Frog (Score:3, Informative)
That's actually a myth, as it turns out.
Re:Why the outrage? (Score:3, Informative)
In principle its the same as a helicopter, but due to the reduced cost I would imagine you could put lots more of these in the air. I think that's where the concern is.
Not sure about airspace though, I would imagine airspace over much of the UK is pretty busy.
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:2, Informative)
Got any sample pictures of that that?
I believe this is a lesser version of it: http://www.nightvisionweb.com/thermal_systems/elcan_ph50.html [nightvisionweb.com]
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:1, Informative)
On the surface, this does not seem like a bad idea. If the drone is just capturing video of what is out in the open for all to see anyway, I don't have a problem with a drone recording it.
The UK already has a vast network of (much cheaper) surveillance cameras doing the same thing.
AND THEY AREN'T VERY GOOD AT PREVENTING CRIME. The UK has a vast amount of data on how ineffective surveillance cameras are.
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:2, Informative)
come on, it's not as if the powers that be would misuse their spy-cams for some bedroom action [tweetphoto.com] now, is it?
Obligatory Clockwork Orange Reference (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Slipperly Slope (Score:5, Informative)
You've been watching too much CSI. I believe what they mean is that they can see if a large heat source exists behind a cement wall. Walls are very good insulators and *stop* heat. With an infrared camera, you can barely even see through a sheet of glass! It's a passive sensor, detecting the heat that the object gives off, and giving that temperature a color in the image. To get an idea of heat blocking capabilities, turn on your reflector space heater, which is a incredibly powerful IR source, shine it at a window, and go outside. Chances are, you wont be able to feel *anything*.
Currently, the only way to see through walls, which *is* possible, is to use THz (link 1 [stormingmedia.us], 2 [ieee.org]), Xray [poc.com], and UWB [softpedia.com]. These are active devices that transmit and receive reflected signals, then construct and image.
And, before someone brings up that infrared is in the THz band, "Low frequency versions of terahertz waves are known as millimeter waves, and they behave much like radio waves. At higher frequencies, the terahertz waves straddle the border between radio and optical emissions." from space.com [space.com]. From the IEEE paper, "(0.6 to 3 THz) offer a greater degree of penetration through architectural and textile materials", so they're using the looow range.
If you're worried about people seeing through your walls, maybe you should turn off your wifi [telegraph.co.uk]! :-o
Eurasia (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Poor U.K. (Score:2, Informative)
What are anon cow and why we keep getting post from it?
The main intent of the right to keep and bear arms for the populace is for the very reason that we can form and regulate militias the very way they did when they overthrew Englands governance and formed our own. Intent is very clear, if not in the constitution due to the passage of time,modern representation of language and misdirection by liberal judges, then certainly in the writings and opinions left individually by founding fathers.
The whole purpose of anonymous cowards may very well be so Hillary Clinton and certain buoyant senators from Massachusetts can post to slashdot and pretend credibility.
Re:Good thing they took your guns away. (Score:3, Informative)
Fortunately, unlike the US the UK hasn't placed so many restrictions on hobbyist UAV's or as we English speakers prefer to call them, model aeroplanes.
They don't even need to be armed, even without guns an aircraft as one weapon left and the Japanese perfected it's application.
You never need to fight harder, you need to fight smarter or as Sir Winston put it: