A civilian oversight panel has signed off on a yearlong test of drones by the Los Angeles Police Department, which will become the largest police department in the nation to deploy the controversial technology: the agency will use camera-mounted drones for reconnaissance purposes only, not for general surveillance or as weapons. They will only be deployed during missions undertaken by SWAT that have been deemed particularly dangerous. And the LAPD has promised stringent limitations and oversight.



The Police Commission’s 3-1 vote prompted jeers, cursing and a small protest that spilled into a downtown intersection just outside the LAPD’s glass headquarters — evidence of the opposition police have faced in recent weeks as they tried to reassure wary residents that the airborne devices would not be misused. Advocates say camera-mounted drones could help protect officers and others by collecting crucial information during high-risk situations or searches without risking their safety. For many privacy advocates and police critics, however, the drones stir Orwellian visions of unwarranted surveillance or fears of militarized, weapon-toting devices patrolling the skies.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – LAPD Becomes Nation’s Largest Police Department to Test Drones