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Seattle Police Department drafting policy for use of unmanned drones

BY Jamie Skorheim  on October 25, 2012 @ 6:39 am (Updated: 7:00 am - 10/25/12 )

The Seattle Police Department is one of the first in the nation to receive permission from the federal government to start using drones. The department is currently working out policies for how they will use the remote control aerial vehicles.

On Wednesday, the department released a draft of their unmanned aerial vehicle operations manual. In it, the department says the resource will be used "to protect the lives and property of citizens and first responders in a constitutionally and legally sound manner."

The manual says the operator of the aerial vehicles will make a reasonable effort to not invade a person's reasonable expectation of privacy and will try not to intrude upon Seattle residents.

Steps to protect residents' privacy include turning off cameras as the UAV approaches crime or accident scenes to avoid getting footage of people or property not involved in the incident. The department also says it will not conduct any random surveillance with the new tool.

The public will have a chance to see, comment, and ask questions about the new technology at a meeting Thursday night at the Garfield Community Center.

The department also plans to put up a website for public input that will be regularly monitored to address people's concerns and recommendations.

Police have said they expect to use drones in search and rescue, accidents, natural disasters, and unusual crime scenes.

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
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Comments (7)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    unarmed -- for now.
    October 25, 2012 6:12 am
    Hmmmmmm... Who else has a fixation with drones ?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    OH BOY-- another stack of Taxpayer Money needed
    October 25, 2012 6:30 am
    To set up and administer the

    Seattle Police Air Force

    Rich O'Neil of the Police Guilde is Lickin' his Chops

    MORE MONEY for us to squander, and NO ONE will dare ask why?

    WE will bomb them from above and hunt down the friends of the people who DARE question the Almighty Lawgivers

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    "unusual crime scenes"
    October 25, 2012 6:37 am
    Who and what will constitute an unusual crime scene?????? Anything at anytime can be construed to be a unusual crime scene.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Basso wrote...
    Scary..
    October 25, 2012 7:40 am
    Here is the headlline of the future, SPD has been given permission to arm drones. Of course they will only be used in a constitutionally/legal correct manner. Does anyone else hear a huge flushing sound?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    10-25-2012 Seattle Police...
    October 25, 2012 7:55 am
    So, living in Seattle, with a fenced yard and bushes all around, these geeks will STILL be able to ticket me for URINATING IN PUBLIC! Not cool, surveillance society, not cool at all. It's one thing the wife rags me a little about it, it's another to get a ticket and court summons in the mail. How embarrassing.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    Well X...
    October 25, 2012 9:20 am
    I'm aware of the fixture, and the potential for a poor girl to fall in... In the interest of safety (not to mention the ragging) "back o the garage" works well... (geeks did not refer to the men and women in uniform on the line by the way, they're working people just like me.)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dvdrafael wrote...
    Most liberal cities
    October 28, 2012 7:56 pm
    ... lose the most rights. Wonder when McMayor will start mandating what people can eat like his buddy in NYC
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }