Law enforcement reacts to being questioned about their drone use, says bill requiring a warrant could set a troublesome precedent.
From PogoWasRight.org:
Joe Wolverton II from the New American writes that North Dakota State Representative Rick Becker (R-Bismarck), a first-term legislator, is proposing a state law that would limit the use of drones by law enforcement. Here’s the part that caught my attention:
Despite the legislative restrictions he wants to impose on the use of the drones, Becker says he isn’t trying to offend police, but to defend the Constitution.
“It’s a new technology that has really amazing capabilities and can be used in excellent ways for our communities. I don’t want to say that drones can’t be used,” Becker said. “But with the new technology there are also issues, primarily privacy issues, which can come into play.”
Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney resents Becker’s meddling in police business and argues that the new law would, as reported by the Huffington Post, “set a troublesome precedent.”
Yes, I can imagine how a warrant standard for drones used in criminal investigations could set a troublesome precedent for law enforcement. That’s exactly the kind of trouble we need.
Read more of Wolverton’s discussion and commentary on New American. According to a Huffington Post article, “similar legislation will be proposed in many states this legislative session, including California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Missouri, Michigan and Indiana. In Virginia, the ACLU/tea party-backed measure is expected to be unveiled this session.”
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=32590
Senator Ron Wyden opposes warrantless surveillance.
"Like you, I have been on the Intelligence Committee and I have been a member for 12 years. But the first time I heard about the warrantless wiretapping program - the first time I heard about it - was when I read about it in the newspaper. It was in the New York Times before I - as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - knew about it.
It is never okay - never okay - for government officials to use a general warrant to deliberately invade the privacy of a law abiding American. It was not OK for constables and customs officials to do it in Colonial days and it is not okay for the National Security Agency to do it today."
Unfortunately, Congress failed to pass even one of the proposed amendments which would have brought much-needed transparency and privacy to the FISA Amendments Act. This unconstitutional law was reauthorized for an additional five years with no reforms, mere days before it was set to expire.