- Stockton has approved a $3.15 investment in Flock drones
- The drones will act as airborne first responders
- Residents have raised privacy and surveillance concerns
Surveillance and privacy are huge concerns for individuals across the world right now, and municipal leaders in the California city of Stockton are the latest to attract criticism for a controversial drone expansion program that’s ostensibly being undertaken in the interests of public safety.
As reported by Stocktonia, the city council recently gave the thumbs up to a $3.15 million investment in drones manufactured by Flock, on top of the automatic license readers the company already supplies. These drones can act as airborne first responders, giving police eyes on a 911 call situation in as little as 30 seconds.
The sales pitch is that officers will be better informed when they arrive, and that some incidents could be handled remotely. “It’ll really enhance what we already have, in that we get quick deployments, real time updates for officers on scene,” said Police Lt. David Padula when the deal was approved…