In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the San Jose City Council approved a first-ever drone pilot program for the city’s police department.
The new program, which must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, has been at the center of a fierce debate over civil liberties concerns. Civil rights advocates have been up in arms about the idea ever since last year when the $7,000 device was secretly purchased using federal grant funds.
Officials tried to assuage some of their concerns Tuesday, insisting that use of the drone will be limited to bomb squad operations and active shootings during the one-year trial.
“It will not be used for surveillance, it does not have telephoto lenses, it does not have infrared lenses, it does not have any types of weapons or anything disruptive,” said Larry Ames of the San Jose Neighborhoods Commission. It will also be prohibited from flying at night and will contain a log showing where it has been.
Pending FAA approval, the drone could be up and running by 2017, officials said.
Read more about Tuesday’s vote here.
Image Credit: Flickr User sfupamr, https://flic.kr/p/rmWBNr via (CC BY 2.0)