DOT's to use drones to spy on motorists (Updated)
image credit: drronelife
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin using drones to allegedly respond to emergencies.
According to an article in High Point Enterprise, DOT officials claim drones will be used to provide information during emergencies and could be used to reach dangerous locations.
Does anyone really believe drones will only be used to keep DOT officials safe? Once one state DOT uses drones all the others will follow.
DOT admits drones will be used routinely
Approximately 30 seconds into the above video, the DOT admits drones will be used routinely. This is what's known as government doublespeak. The Feds want the public to believe drones, will only be used in emergencies and a little later they admit they'll use drones routinely.
What will the Feds do with expensive highway drones when DOT officials aren't using them for emergencies? After all, emergencies don't happen all that often right?
Fyi, the University of North Carolina is working with the DOT to develop drones. A Google search of "the University of North Carolina and Homeland Security' returned 934,000 hits.
Colorado DOT uses blimps to spy on motorists
"It is the first department of transportation in the country to use a blimp to monitor traffic" CDOT spokeswoman Amy Ford said.
Police use DOT blimps to spy on motorists...
"Judicious placement of a SkySentry Tactically Expedient Aerostat (TEA) in support of law enforcement for both planned and impromptu public gatherings is a VERY low-cost alternative to airplanes, helicopters or numerous personnel on the ground."
Updated 4/6:
Police use drones to spy on public during Boston Marathon
According to an article in the Boston Herald, police will use UAV drones to spy on the public.
Built by Danvers-based CyPhy Works, the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications drones, or PARC for short, are tethered to the ground with thin wires, letting police survey the crowd with cameras equipped with long-distance zoom, electro-optical and infrared capabilities.
“They will not be over spectator areas, and they will be providing live video feeds into public safety [police] command centers.”
The DOT works closely with DHS and the TSA
DOT's across the country work closely with DHS...
"TSA, on behalf of DHS, is a co-Sector Specific Agency alongside DOT and USCG for the transportation sector. DOT and TSA work together to integrate safety and security priorities."
Florida DOT uses highway Bluetooth detectors to spy on motorists
In 2007, the University of Maryland, developed Bluetooth detectors that can identify motorists and passengers IP addresses and much more.
"The Florida Department of Transportation and city of Gainesville are two of many government entities nationwide now using roadside transponders to read the identification number of any activated Bluetooth device as it passes."
A Google search for the "University of Maryland and Homeland Security" returned close to 800,000 hits. For more information about DOT's spying on Bluetooth devices, read my story 'Highway Bluetooth detectors are spying on motorists and pedestrians'.
DOT's are also using Pay-By-Plate license plate readers to spy on motorists nationwide...
“My main concern is the long-term storage and the bulk collection gathering of data, 99.99 percent of the people whose information is being collected are totally innocent and have done nothing wrong. So why keep a dossier on them?” Congressman Michael Capuano said. (Click here & here to learn more.)
The list of excuses police use is endless and the end result is always the same. We are losing our privacy for the sake of public safety.