Police spy drones

George Orwell’s “1984” tells the story of a collectivist state controlled by the ruthless Thought Police, who monitor the public through “telescreens”. Through these devices they can watch every person in their society and give orders through loudspeakers.

This story was perhaps intended as a warning, showing how terrible a society could get. In fact “1984” became a chillingly accurate prediction (the book was written in 1949).

Not long after 1984 in real life and the first large-scale trials for the public use of CCTV were underway. By now we have approximately 4.2 million CCTV cameras in operation in the UK. This is over a million more cameras than in communist China, which has a population around 1.3 billion.

In George Orwell’s story there was a “telescreen” in every home, one camera for every fourth person. We have not quite reached this figure yet in the UK – the current ratio is one camera for every fourteen people.
As in the science fiction story, some of these cameras indeed have microphones to listen to what we are saying and speakers so the police can remotely give orders to members of the public. Big Brother might not be watching us, but the police certainly are. The eye in the sky now has ears and a mouth as well. Watching, listening and telling us what to do.

All this is commonly accepted in our society but George Orwell could not have predicted the even more frightening developments in surveillance that have been underway during the past year.

On the 26th of January 2010 in Bootle, the first person was arrested using a remote controlled hovering CCTV device know as the Hicam Microdrone.

This police drone is approximately 3 feet wide, black and nearly silent when in flight. It can be flown manually or set to autonomously patrol the skies up to 500 ft high.

Equipped with full colour CCTV and infrared night vision the drone could literally hover outside your bedroom window and you would not have the slightest idea that it was there, but surely no member of the UK police force would be party to any lewd behaviour?

The latest developments from France currently in use are similar drones that are actually equipped with weapons - flying robot bobbies that can shoot at anyone they choose with rubber bullet guns and 44mm tear gas grenade launchers. Perhaps the most shocking weapons on these robot drones are the LRAD acoustic sound cannon which can be used to control people through directional ear-splitting sound torture and the 50,000 volt electric taser gun.

Considering that over 350 people have died in America as a result of the “non-lethal” taser guns, it seems that death from above or at least torturous pain from above at the hands of the police is coming to a town near you. If you live in the Merseyside area they have already tested the device on you which does not include the optional extras, but the complete abolition of human privacy comes as standard with all models.

Guest post by Elliot Margison

Comments

[Richard Craven]

Disgusting. There is no excuse for these things.

[ConsultantsUnlt]

Lots of helicopters in Nineteen EightyFour just the usual noisy big ones! Orwell just ahead of the technology!

[Demeter]

The words "Bootle" and "Microdrone" throw up no hits in the News section of a VWKSE (Very Well-Known Search Engine). Can we please have a link or citation for this story. Ta.

[cornishstu]

how about here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250177/Police-make-arrest-using-unmanned-drone.html

[Alan Staten]

Hello mates,

Not to be outdone the U.S. is following in your footsteps. I think ours is going to be white for purity.

http://policeinpublic.blogspot.com/2011/01/httpwww_27.html

[Peter MacFarlane]

This is beyond disgusting.

I look forward to reading the first report of one of these vile objects being destroyed by a shotgun blast or a SAM.

[Richard Craven]

@Peter

I appreciate the sentiment, but steady on! If people resorted to firearms and serious military hardware, that would gift the police an excellent basis for seeking more powers, further eroding our freedoms.

[vibram toe shoes]

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moose - although she may never have cause to use that one************Isn't English fun?! !?