Maine Lawmakers Worried About Drone Use, Hey, Lisbon Has Had Their Own Drone For 30 Plus Years, Police Chief David T. Brooks

 Lisbon's Own Drone

 Police Chief David T. Brooks

You still looking for the Missing Public Funds ($32,500) from the Economic and Community Development Department Or Not?  We Need A Real Police Chief Not Some Defunct Drone.

Maine lawmakers, ACLU worried about police use of drones

By Mal Leary, Capitol News Service

Posted July 12, 2012, at 6:31 p.m.

   

Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Sen. Olympia Snowe Buy Photo

Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Rep. Mike Michaud Buy Photo

Shenna Bellows, executive director of the ACLU of Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine — Unmanned, remotely controlled aircraft have become a daily tool of the military in Afghanistan, where they have proven invaluable in providing real-time information. But there is growing concern in Congress and among civil libertarians that law enforcement will want to use that technology more broadly at home.

“This is an issue of concern to a lot of members,“ Sen. Olympia Snowe said last week. “I supported an amendment to the farm bill that would have prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency from conducting aerial surveillance of farm operations. Unfortunately that failed to get the 60 votes necessary.”

The Republican senator said Congress has directed the Federal Aviation Administration to develop regulations for the use of drone aircraft for policing purposes, but Snowe says that use should be limited. She supports the use of drones for patrolling along border areas, something that has been underway for several years.

“I don’t support the broad use of these by government,” said Snowe, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Snowe said it is important that Congress consider legislation that would clearly spell out when and where law enforcement could use drones and not rely on rules from the FAA or other federal agencies.

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