Is it right for Kent Police to operate Unmanned Spy Drones that can record clear images of people on the ground from up to 22,000ft in the air (invisible from the ground)?
Kent Police have been in discussions with BAE Systems, a global defence company, to discuss the possibility of operating these "Spy Planes" in the skies above The Isle of Thanet.
Andrew Mellors from BAE said: “Potential roles include maritime surveillance, road and railway monitoring, search and rescue support, harbour security, event security and media coverage, communications relays, major incident assessment, frontier security and covert urban surveillance.”
I can see the tremendous benefits in all of that. Apart from one. "Covert Urban Surveillance". What on earth would they want to do that for? Surely this vague use of words leaves the door wide open for interpretation from Kent Police as to what the Spy Plane is for. Speeding Motorists, Theft, Assault, Littering, your little old Auntie doing her weekly shopping? I mean seriously, this is basically a giant portable CCTV camera in the sky that is totally invisible to the naked eye and to innocent residents going about their day to day business.
Thanet Police Commander, Mitchell Fox has played down the Big Borther is watching you arguement, “To a degree the argument would be the same as Google Earth. We are governed by privacy laws and regulations but I can understand why people would be concerned if technology like this was developed.”
Well I would beg to differ with him. Google Earth and a Live CCTV Recorder in the sky operated by the Police Force are two very different things in my opinion. I think, like with so many good (and bad) ideas, this could all be so easily abused.
I suppose we shall just have to wait and see what occurs of these discussions, as to whether or not The Isle of Thanet is indeed blessed with a Spy Drone. (Oh no we won't... they can't be seen from the ground. We shall just have to wait for Kent Police to declare the outcome then, and trust our Privacy in their hands)
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