On Tuesday (17th) morning, outside the LAPD Headquarters located at Downtown Los Angeles was crowded with protesters and reporters.
The reason was that the Police Commission approved their 1-year test drone program, according to the LA Times article.
The drone program was approved by a 3-1 vote the same morning. So how exactly will the LAPD use drones?
According to the LAPD’s draft proposal, the SWAT Team will use drones “to safely resolve dangerous, high-risk tactical situations”, and “improve situational awareness capabilities during natural disasters and catastrophic incidents.”
The document also says that the drone will be used solely during the following situations:
- Barricaded Suspects
- Active Shooter Incidents
- Assessments of Explosive Devices and Explosion
- Hostage Situations
- Natural Disasters
- Hazardous Materials Incidents
- Search and Rescue Operations; and,
- Perimeter Searches of Armed SUspects with Superior Firepower, an Extraordinary Tactical Advantage, or Who are Wanted for Assault with a Firearm Against a Police Officer
In addition, the drones will not be weaponized or used for surveillance.
Drone program approved 3-1 & crowd not happy pic.twitter.com/XJcWDT00pY
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) October 17, 2017
However, the opponents of the program are mainly arguing that the new program could be an invasion of privacy. After the LAPD announced the 3-1 vote, the protesters began shouting “shame on you” together (See the video above).
by Audrey Joung
