12 February 2013

Wierd, Unknown Drone Photographed Hovering Over Oakland Neighborhoods


Isn't it neat living in a faceless, futuristic police state? 

East Germany would have KILLED for one of these things...
The primary suspect in this case would be the Oakland-area Alameda County Sheriff's Department, who recently released a statement re. the department's (rapidly) evolving policy (-here-) on the use of aerial drones, which they refer to in army-speak as an sUAS, or 'small Unmanned Aircraft System'... 

Seems they're already rather-broadly approved within 
Alameda County for the following missions...
  • Post-incident crime scene preservation and documentation
  • Explosive ordinance disposal missions
  • Response to hazardous materials spills
  • Search and Rescue missions
  • Public safety and life preservation missions to include barricaded suspects, hostage situations, active shooters, apprehension of armed and dangerous and/or violent fleeing suspects, and high-risk warrants
  • Disaster response and recovery, to include natural and man-caused disasters incl. a full overview of a disaster area for post-incidental analysis and documentation
  • Training missions as authorized by the Training Certificate of Authorization
  • In response to specific requests from local, state, or federal fire authorities
  • When there is probable cause to believe that (1) the sUAS will record images of a place, thing, condition, or event; and (2) that those images would be relevant in proving that a certain felony had occurred or is occurring, or that a particular person committed or is committing a certain felony and use of the sUAS does not infringe upon the reasonable expectation of privacy
  • pursuant to a search warrant