Houston police secretly test drone planes for domestic surveillance

[PopHistorian]

This is all over the alternative sites, and (a bit surprisingly) was given a long segment on CNN, with film of the drones, probably so they could show privacy activists worried over it, so the public think it's being taken care of. These things are small and light (a person can lift it easily) have high-powered cameras that can look into homes and other buildings, follow cars on the road, etc. In my mind I envisioned a near future with flyovers of these things everywhere, every few minutes, looking for "suspicious activity."

The drones are build by the InSitu corporation, the 4th fastest growing company in Washington state, which creates unmanned aircraft exclusively.

_http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/11/368935.shtml

WALLER COUNTY, Texas -- Houston police started testing unmanned aircraft and the event was shrouded in secrecy, but it was captured on tape by Local 2 Investigates.

Neighbors in rural Waller County said they thought a top-secret military venture was under way among the farmland and ranches, some 70 miles northwest of Houston. KPRC Local 2 Investigates had four hidden cameras aimed at a row of mysterious black trucks. Satellite dishes and a swirling radar added to the neighbors' suspense.

Then, cameras were rolling as an unmanned aircraft was launched into the sky and operated by remote control. Houston police cars were surrounding the land with a roadblock in place to check each of the dignitaries arriving for the invitation-only event. The invitation spelled out, "NO MEDIA ALLOWED." [...]

"I wasn't ready to publicize this," Executive Assistant Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. She and other department leaders hastily organized a news conference when they realized Local 2 Investigates had captured the entire event on camera. [...]

HPD leaders said they would address privacy and unlawful search questions later. [...]

She admitted that police helicopters are not equipped with cameras nearly as powerful as the unmanned aircraft, but she downplayed any privacy concerns, saying news helicopters have powerful cameras as well. [...]

 

[Tigersoap]

These things are small and light (a person can lift it easily) have high-powered cameras that can look into homes and other buildings, follow cars on the road, etc. In my mind I envisioned a near future with flyovers of these things everywhere, every few minutes, looking for "suspicious activity."

I have seen quite a lot of these Mini-copters that are sold as toys for children.
There is even one particular advertising that shows how the helicopter can help to arrest "bad guys".
This one for example _http://www.xheli.com/he4eshobeerc.html is more geared at adults but it's already widely available.

This is probably part of the plan to desensitize people to having drones around, if they are considered as toys, they won't feel threatened as much I suppose.
As long as the fun factor is involved, I guess we're safe...There is no emoticon to express the irony I feel.

 

[PopHistorian]

Maybe, but InSitu's products don't look much like toys. Notice how they market each product as "for military and homeland security applications." The drones have been in use in Iraq/Afghanistan for quite some time. Homeland Security probably already has them, given that tagline, and now we know the pitch is being extended to city police departments.

Remember that so-called "debate" about creation of an overt domestic intelligence agency has ensued since 9~11. _http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2003-09/a-2003-09-30-49-CIA.cfm
The idea is promoted by the Council on Foreign Relations, which always seems to get what they want. _http://www.cfr.org/publication/11990/does_the_united_states_need_a_domestic_intelligence_agency.html
And plenty of researchers allege that domestic surveillance is already vast and mature.

 

[Tigersoap]

Maybe, but InSitu's products don't look much like toys.

Yup sure. It just made me think of all the toys (plane or copter) that share the same form of technology albeit a lot less high-tech of course.
I don't think these planes are toys at all and like you said, built to monitor the local population.
If people are used to have toy drones flying around it wil be easier to deploy the high tech surveillance ones without raising too much eyebrows osit.