Eyes in the sky: NOPD seeks to expand drone surveillance as crime-fighting tool

The New Orleans Police Department wants to expand its drone program, to use the flying video cameras as first responders to some 911 calls. But that has privacy advocates concerned.

Drones are already in use by the NOPD in limited circumstances, but they are looking to expand it to something like the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office “drones as first responders” setup, where the quad-rotor flyers are deployed in response to 911 calls. JPSO has touted the machine’s usefulness in pursuing fleeing suspects.

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Loyola Law professor Dane Ciolino says constitutionally, that sort of use is considered acceptable…

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