The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports:
STATEWIDE — POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE “flooding the skies” with highly invasive surveillance drones without regulation or oversight, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) warned Tuesday in its report, “Prying Eyes: Government Drone Data Across New York.” NYPD has quadrupled its drone arsenal since 2022, from 19 to 99, a 421% increase, according to the report. Small, inconspicuous drones can record private conversations, track individuals or vehicles autonomously, use night vision and thermal imaging, can break down doors and can be equipped with crowd-control devices such as pepper spray. NYPD flies drones as part of regular patrols, violating city policy and “ushering in a new level of constant aerial surveillance,” NYCLU claims. Daniel Schwarz, NYCLU’s Senior Privacy & Technology Strategist, urged legislators to enact guardrails on this technology.
Read more at Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
h/t, Joe Cadillic