The San Jose City Council late Tuesday approved a pilot program allowing police to use a drone.
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The City Council unanimously accepted a list of procedures recommended by the Police Department that will allow the department to use the drone for one year after getting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The drone will be used to find suspects in hiding or search for an explosive device. The drone won’t be used for surveillance or to retailer imagery. Paul Kelly from the San Jose Police Officers’ Association said.
“There will probably be no surveillance, and San Jose won’t be partnering with the NSA (Nationwide Safety Administration)”, Mayor Sam Liccardo stated in an interview Tuesday. Lawmakers and privacy activists immediately criticized the police secrecy, which came after a number of other police drone prosposals crashed, and the SJPD never deployed the UAV. Commission leaders say the drone won’t be able to record any video and will also be prohibited from flying at night.
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If it gets the FAA’s approval, the drone pilot program would likely start in 2017. “They should go back to the drawing board and the question should be about whether a drone is ever used in San Jose”.
