Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this weekend.

[Shrimpfarmer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Well.... Hawkeye if you really believe that bullsh_t you just said..... why don't you come try and break in my house....... were going to see whos got balls and who dials 911......because I sure wont be dialing 911........ don't be ignorant!!!!!!!!

LOL, That was unexpected! Never play on the computer when you still have Methamphetamine in your system. Once you come down, check back in and see if this still makes sense to you Macdaddy. :shock:

+1 Shrimpy

 

[Jermz]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Why does this stuff never make the news?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Uncle Meat]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

A kid died ... I'd be more than willing to try to help them figure out how ...

He's still alive, although he is in critical condition after falling 4 stories onto a concrete slab.

I received another email from the investigating officer last night and he's requested that I send him additional information on not only my Phantom but any other similar platforms and equipment currently available. He's spoken to his captain and they are seriously looking into getting something similar for their use in future investigations. He even asked if I would help him learn to fly it when and if they get one.

U.M.

 

[Wind_Shear]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

A kid died ... I'd be more than willing to try to help them figure out how ...

He's still alive, although he is in critical condition after falling 4 stories onto a concrete slab.

I received another email from the investigating officer last night and he's requested that I send him additional information on not only my Phantom but any other similar platforms and equipment currently available. He's spoken to his captain and they are seriously looking into getting something similar for their use in future investigations. He even asked if I would help him learn to fly it when and if they get one.

U.M.

Nice work helping our boys in blue. I'm sure once they get their hands on this technology they will only use it to investigate tragic accidents and protect us all from ourselves while at the same time being careful to not increase their (already well-honed) tactics of invading peoples' privacy with warrantless searches at their whim and for the slightest suspicion of whatever.

Maybe you can volunteer to help them build a whole fleet of Phantoms and become the first person on this board who successfully arms a quad with a taser for taking down "perps" they can't reach from wherever they happen to be standing.

Forgive my sarcasm, but UAV technology was largely developed by the military/police (yes, in my opinion they are they same) and has been primarily used by them for purposes I find morally and ethically questionable, so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

Tl;dr - the police don't need any extra help getting more toys to play with

 

[Hawkeye 1]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

A kid died ... I'd be more than willing to try to help them figure out how ...

He's still alive, although he is in critical condition after falling 4 stories onto a concrete slab.

I received another email from the investigating officer last night and he's requested that I send him additional information on not only my Phantom but any other similar platforms and equipment currently available. He's spoken to his captain and they are seriously looking into getting something similar for their use in future investigations. He even asked if I would help him learn to fly it when and if they get one.

U.M.

Nice work helping our boys in blue. I'm sure once they get their hands on this technology they will only use it to investigate tragic accidents and protect us all from ourselves while at the same time being careful to not increase their (already well-honed) tactics of invading peoples' privacy with warrantless searches at their whim and for the slightest suspicion of whatever.

Maybe you can volunteer to help them build a whole fleet of Phantoms and become the first person on this board who successfully arms a quad with a taser for taking down "perps" they can't reach from wherever they happen to be standing.

Forgive my sarcasm, but UAV technology was largely developed by the military/police (yes, in my opinion they are they same) and has been primarily used by them for purposes I find morally and ethically questionable, so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

Tl;dr - the police don't need any extra help getting more toys to play with

Google " posse comitatus" and you might rethink your idea that the police and military are the same.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

So I guess in your world I would not be allowed to contribute to this community. Good job your not running the place then.

 

[Wind_Shear]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

So I guess in your world I would not be allowed to contribute to this community. Good job your not running the place then.

I have no idea where you'd get that idea.

My point is people are scared/paranoid enough about invasions of privacy from our toy flying cameras. Once they start associating them with police use they will become openly hostile towards them. Try flying your quad in an urban ghetto to see the kinds of reactions they elicit and maybe you'll see what I mean more clearly.

My comment was in no way an attack on law enforcement as a profession, or you on you as (I assume) a cop.

 

[Wind_Shear]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

So I guess in your world I would not be allowed to contribute to this community. Good job your not running the place then.

Also, being a Brit you don't have any Constitutional protections for your right to privacy, so you may not understand how things are supposed to work over here vs the way they actually do work.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

so part of what I'd like to see moving forward is as much distancing of our community from that community as possible.

So I guess in your world I would not be allowed to contribute to this community. Good job your not running the place then.

I have no idea where you'd get that idea.

My point is people are scared/paranoid enough about invasions of privacy from our toy flying cameras. Once they start associating them with police use they will become openly hostile towards them. Try flying your quad in an urban ghetto to see the kinds of reactions they elicit and maybe you'll see what I mean more clearly.

My comment was in no way an attack on law enforcement as a profession, or you on you as (I assume) a cop.

Ok apologies, I misunderstood your point. People are concerned about the cameras on our quads. Yesterday several people asked me what the camera was for. I used to explain that I like to make films but I have changed tack and now I just state thats its so I can see to avoid obstacles.

 

[Wind_Shear]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I'd like to think we both agree it is unfortunate you have to, um, bend the truth when explaining the hobby we all agree is one of the most fun things we can do.

You don't fly while in uniform, do you?

 

[thongbong]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I think you're trying to say is that we need to disassociate from the word drone. The media is drumming up the word "drone" as something bad, the same way they did with guns and the word "assault weapon". A handful of states have made laws that restrict the use of "drones" by the government agencies for general surveillance--my state is in the process of doing so, and unfortunately the bill also contains a clause that will make me a felon if I fly around and gopro my neighbors with my Phantom. I conjecture by the trend of other states that have passed similar bills, it's only a matter of time.

People are scared because they don't know what our quadcopters are and fear them as bomb dropping "drones". They fear us flying over their house and capturing images of their dog and children, but ironically, this has been done already by Google and indexed by Facebook. Thieves won't use a flying camera to steal your identity, but will do it by means of the internet. It's an issue of the uneducated, educating the masses.

 

[Hawkeye 1]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I think you're trying to say is that we need to disassociate from the word drone. The media is drumming up the word "drone" as something bad, the same way they did with guns and the word "assault weapon". A handful of states have made laws that restrict the use of "drones" by the government agencies for general surveillance--my state is in the process of doing so, and unfortunately the bill also contains a clause that will make me a felon if I fly around and gopro my neighbors with my Phantom. I conjecture by the trend of other states that have passed similar bills, it's only a matter of time.

People are scared because they don't know what our quadcopters are and fear them as bomb dropping "drones". They fear us flying over their house and capturing images of their dog and children, but ironically, this has been done already by Google and indexed by Facebook. Thieves won't use a flying camera to steal your identity, but will do it by means of the internet. It's an issue of the uneducated, educating the masses.

+ 1. Good post !

 

[Wind_Shear]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I think you're trying to say is that we need to disassociate from the word drone. The media is drumming up the word "drone" as something bad, the same way they did with guns and the word "assault weapon". A handful of states have made laws that restrict the use of "drones" by the government agencies for general surveillance--my state is in the process of doing so, and unfortunately the bill also contains a clause that will make me a felon if I fly around and gopro my neighbors with my Phantom. I conjecture by the trend of other states that have passed similar bills, it's only a matter of time.

People are scared because they don't know what our quadcopters are and fear them as bomb dropping "drones". They fear us flying over their house and capturing images of their dog and children, but ironically, this has been done already by Google and indexed by Facebook. Thieves won't use a flying camera to steal your identity, but will do it by means of the internet. It's an issue of the uneducated, educating the masses.

Exactly.

+1

Given our general trend here in America towards an Orwellian totalitarian state, I hope all police agencies in our country are banned from ever using this technology.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Given our general trend here in America towards an Orwellian totalitarian state, I hope all police agencies in our country are banned from ever using this technology.

But that would be crazy to hope for that. Stop assuming that every police officer means you harm. They don't.

The police having access to this technology could have very positive uses. I am retired now but I would have loved to have had access to them when searching for elderly people who may have become confused and wandered out of their home. Its such a common call. It would also be great when looking for a missing child to hover high above the neighbourhood and call officers in to check possible sightings. Fire fighters could use them, police officers at road crashes can use them to look for people who may have been flung from an overturned vehicle. The list of uses for the public good are endless. Near where I live is a notorious suicide spot called Beachy Head. A quad would allow any first responder to locate people who may have jumped without the need for the coastguard to risk putting a man over the edge on a rope. The reality is most police services will not use them as they are not 100% reliable and therefore unsafe in a built up area. Once that is solved then no doubt they will adopt them.

 

[Visioneer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Nice work helping our boys in blue. I'm sure once they get their hands on this technology they will only use it to investigate tragic accidents and protect us all from ourselves while at the same time being careful to not increase their (already well-honed) tactics of invading peoples' privacy with warrantless searches at their whim and for the slightest suspicion of whatever.

The Phantom (and those which follow) have made the technology available to anyone without the need for much skill. Police (and criminals) will have access whether experienced citizens "help" them or not. The notion that assisting them will give them access to something they wouldn't otherwise have isn't realistic. It'll be better for our community to be seen by authorities as helpful rather than as difficult (or worse).

Law enforcement, as with every profession, has their fair share of bad eggs .... and the bad eggs get a lot more press than those who do their job properly. They are all human, and mistakes are made (Robocop isn't real yet). But casting them all in the same light is unfair. I don't imagine there is any profession or company that hasn't been denounced at some point based on the poor performance of one of their kind. The difference with police is they have some authority over all of us, and when it's abused it strikes close to home whether we're directly involved or not.

My experience with police is that you get what you give. If you are respectful, they will be even more so. My guess is that those who dislike police are getting their information from the media (meaning primarily "bad apple" reports spun to make the best "copy") or from someone who didn't like the way they were treated and can only tell one side of the story. Few of us are very good at seeing a situation objectively, and from any perspective other than our own. You may know you're a good guy, have done nothing wrong, and have nothing to hide but when you get belligerent because an officer doesn't also immediately know this, you are forcing him/her to take precautions. People forget police are human beings too. Just look at how some folks react on this forum to mere words ... calling others names and saying how stupid they are because they have a different opinion.

There are no shortage of incidents where an officer making a "routine" traffic stop is shot for no reason other than the uniform being worn. Who would want a job like that? It's hard to imagine that anyone would prefer to live in a country where there are no laws, and no police to enforce them. If that has appeal, I imagine there are plenty of countries available where something along those lines can be arranged.

What's that old saw about it being better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness? "Cursing" the police in general is pointless, it accomplishes nothing other than perhaps inciting others to chime in and curse along ... which also accomplishes nothing. Do something positive instead.

Here's a prediction ... various legislative bodies will pass laws restricting the authorities' use of UAVs, some will be well done and restrict abuses without totally tying their hands. Others will be simple and require warrants in all cases without any flexibility. Some situation will come along where the immediate use of a UAV could have prevented damage, injury, or even death, but the authorities are forced to waste time getting a warrant or whatever approval is mandated by the law. The headline will read "Police Fail To Do their Job". I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Nice work helping our boys in blue. I'm sure once they get their hands on this technology they will only use it to investigate tragic accidents and protect us all from ourselves while at the same time being careful to not increase their (already well-honed) tactics of invading peoples' privacy with warrantless searches at their whim and for the slightest suspicion of whatever.

The Phantom (and those which follow) have made the technology available to anyone without the need for much skill. Police (and criminals) will have access whether experienced citizens "help" them or not. The notion that assisting them will give them access to something they wouldn't otherwise have isn't realistic. It'll be better for our community to be seen by authorities as helpful rather than as difficult (or worse).

Law enforcement, as with every profession, has their fair share of bad eggs .... and the bad eggs get a lot more press than those who do their job properly. They are all human, and mistakes are made (Robocop isn't real yet). But casting them all in the same light is unfair. I don't imagine there is any profession or company that hasn't been denounced at some point based on the poor performance of one of their kind. The difference with police is they have some authority over all of us, and when it's abused it
strikes close to home whether we're directly involved or not.

My experience with police is that you get what you give. If you are respectful, they will be even more so. My guess is that those who dislike police are getting their information from the media (meaning primarily "bad apple" reports spun to make the best "copy") or from someone who didn't like the way they were treated and can only tell one side of the story. Few of us are very good at seeing a situation objectively, and from any perspective other than our own. You may know you're a good guy, have done nothing wrong, and have nothing to hide but when you get belligerent because an officer doesn't also immediately know this, you are forcing him/her to take precautions. People forget police are human beings too. Just look at how some folks react on this forum to mere words ... calling others names and saying how stupid they are because they have a different opinion.

There are no shortage of incidents where an officer making a "routine" traffic stop is shot for no reason other than the uniform being worn. Who would want a job like that? It's hard to imagine that anyone would prefer to live in a country where there are no laws, and no police to enforce them. If that has appeal, I imagine there are plenty of countries available where something along those lines can be arranged.

What's that old saw about it being better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness? "Cursing" the police in general is pointless, it accomplishes nothing other than perhaps inciting others to chime in and curse along ... which also accomplishes nothing. Do something positive instead.

Here's a prediction ... various legislative bodies will pass laws restricting the authorities' use of UAVs, some will be well done and restrict abuses without totally tying their hands. Others will be simple and require warrants in all cases without any flexibility. Some situation will come along where the immediate use of a UAV could have prevented damage, injury, or even death, but the authorities are forced to waste time getting a warrant or whatever approval is mandated by the law. The headline will read "Police Fail To Do their Job". I hope I'm wrong.

Well said

 

[Hawkeye 1]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

++1 ! Very reasoned and thoughtful response.

 

[Bois]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I would have done the same.

 

[RickF]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

Great story!! Thanks for sharing. I would absolutely have done the same thing to assist. Nice way to use a drone without intruding on anyone's privacy or violating anyone's trust. Thanks!

 

[labmansid]

Re: Used my Phantom to assist local law enforement this week

I think it's great that you were able to help the police out with their investigation, Uncle Meat. I would have done the same thing.
Excellent post, Visioneer, well written.
Where we lived before we moved to where we are now, my best friend was a DPS or State Trooper. I would frequently ride along with him while on patrol. He is a great person, and would often try to cut people some slack, but sometimes people just didn't know when to quit and tried to take advantage of it.
People in a position of authority like him have to have certain qualities, and other people seem to have issues with that, I suppose. Just the way people are. I try to respect everyone's opinion, even if I don't agree with or understand it. I could never do what he does, but I have a great deal of respect for people that do. Sure there are some that can be real turds, but that's true of the general population. I have seen some in police work that are kind of jerks. People are not perfect, nor are they always nice, no matter your profession.
In the end, however, it is pretty much a thankless job having to clean up the mess other regular people have left on the roadways or elsewhere when they have a serious lapse in judgement, or are just downright stupid. Fortunately I never was with him when he had to deliver terrible news to the survivor of a loved one.