In all the exciting drone news of the past month, an important milestone slipped under the radar. On May 16, Minnesota’s governor signed into law a sweeping set of regulations and restrictions on police use of drones. The law takes effect on August 1.
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There’s been a lot of animosity towards police use of drones during the coronavirus pandemic. Citizens and civil rights groups fear that authorities have gone too far by observing people throughout public spaces to see if they are following social distancing rules.
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While flying a mission to find a man on the lam, Devon and Cornwall Police drone operators came across an unusual piece of artwork that had been cut into a field to resemble a familiar shape.
At the start of the week, the city of Westport, Connecticut, began testing a “pandemic drone” designed to detect signs of illness in crowds. By Wednesday, protesters were out to oppose the drone for invading their privacy. And by Thursday, the city had pulled out of the program.
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A beachgoer in Italy had his sunbathing session cut short when a police drone which spotted him on the lonely beach during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Rimini Municipality police have shared the video online as a way to show off the tech they are using to fight coronavirus and monitor the public.
The first officer on the scene might be a drone pilot. Cities in California are utilizing police drones as the “first responder” on some calls. The goal is to get eyes on a scene as soon as possible, for instance to track suspects fleeing a crime.