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FHP Boss: We Want Drones, But Not For Speeding Tickets
October 27, 2016
Drones would not be used to ticket motorists, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry Rhodes said Tuesday after her agency got backing from the state Cabinet to ask lawmakers to set up a pilot program that would use unmanned aerial devices to help manage traffic crashes.
“If we were going to do this, number one I would want to try it for a year, 18 months, report back to the Legislature and then determine what type of law it would be,” Rhodes told reporters. “It would not be for criminal evidence or arrests.”
Asked if drones could be used to issue speeding tickets or other motor-vehicle infractions, Rhodes responded, “That is not the intent.” She added, “There are other uses for it, but I don’t want to use it for getting speeding tickets.”
The Cabinet — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater — agreed to accept the highway agency’s “legislative concepts,” including the drone proposal, for the 2017 session. Gov. Rick Scott abstained from the vote.
The drone proposal stems from a 2013 state law that prohibits the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement for surveillance and evidence gathering. The law limits the use of automated surveillance aircraft by law enforcement unless a judge issues a warrant, there is a “high risk of terrorist attack” or officials fear someone is in imminent danger. The law was pushed as a way to protect people from the unwarranted use of drones and other unmanned aircraft.
Comments
7 Responses to “FHP Boss: We Want Drones, But Not For Speeding Tickets”
They will always sell the benefits before they pass the law that will make it be called entrapment. The entire world is moving this way.
Look around next time you drive east on I-10. There are cameras all the way to Lake City.
they could just do the general public like they do the commercial drivers at some companies, have a camera in the cab of the vehicle watching the driver at all times. ever see the movie thx 1138 or hear of a guy name of george orwell? that’s what it’s all gonna come down to, sooner or later, the gov wants control over every aspect of life.:)
FHP is already 2 dozen personnel short in this area alone. The use of drones would also help prioritize the crash from minor to major as well as the concern for traffic back up. Yes it is there job to conduct traffic stops on the interstates and state roads as well as crashes, but when your short handed they don’t always get the chance to give out speeding tickets. I have seen it to where there are only 2 troopers on a shift because of being low on manpower so drones or other type of help would be appreciated
Traffic Management – To possibly monitor wildfire smoke conditions remotely. Monitor well being of vehicles & citizens sitting during ice storms, monitoring traffic along alternate routes while troopers attend to crash, to assist with hurricane evacuations and to update media of alternate routes, to update on site troopers of other emergency vehicles approaching a crash, remotely monitor interstates when hurricanes knock bridges out, monitor interstate when Florida State and Florida are playing in the Sugar Bowl and the Blackwater bridge is out, monitor around major evens such as Daytoa 500 and Bike Week. I can imagine many situations where a drone would be helpful with traffic management. The possibility’s are endless when you think positive about future technology and how to manage the risk for unlawful uses.
To manage crashes? I’m pretty sure that is the job of the trooper. How would sending a drone help anybody? A trooper will have to respond anyway. It seems like it would delay response time in the initial call to deploy a drone. Although I suppose if a drone could see how significant the crash was that additional ems and Leo’s could be called out quicker.
Also who over sees the deployment and the reason it is deployed? I see a lot of lawsuits spouting that civil rights were violated. In such a tremulous time in l.e history do we really want to add to ways people could think their rights are being stepped on? Just playing the devils advocate here.
Let’s see; Terry Rhodes says ” it’s not the intent to use drones to give speeding tickets, gather evidence, or make arrests”. I have to ask Ms. Rhodes; what else is the FHP supposed to be doing? Sounds like a very expensive toy to be used to tie up one or more officer’s time when they could be busy on the ground doing what we pay them to do.