Help EFF Find Out How Your Local Police Agency is Using Drones

I don't think we know the implications of drone aircraft used by local police forces. Not knowing should not take it off the table, it should rather require oversight to make sure the populace agrees with their mission, if the mission were to change.<p>On the one hand, it could save municipalities money by affording a more effective police force. As mentioned earlier, this is an extension of what agencies do now --except that they'd be unpersonned. On the other hand, what are the implications if they were to arm these drones with some kind of lethal force?<p>I think if they were limited to reconnaissance, search (maybe not rescue), aiding in enforcement of law, I don't see how drones become automatically off-limits.<p>I'm probably missing something, but those are my thoughts now.

Man, I wish I had more time to spend at the local hackerspace, and start learning a bit about aeronautics... I dream of creating a DIY drone that can go up and shoot down these stupid (Gestapo|Stasi|KGB|$WHATEVER) drones that our governments are sending up.

Ok I get the potential privacy implications, but two things.<p>1) Aerial surveillance is not new. Ever seen the signs on the highway that say "speed limit enforced by aircraft?" Local jurisdictions have been flying small planes and helicopters for law enforcement for decades.<p>2) What is electronic about this? I mean, I get that the drones use electronics to gather and store data, but this feels like mission creep at the EFF to me. There are plenty of battles to fight online.

I am glad the EFF is doing this sort of thing. It seems like a good reactionary stance that should help the society at large. Will the data be available anywhere publicly? It doesn't seem like the EFF mention that I am sending them the data under a license. Is that something I have missed, or have they overlooked this? It seems like an important part of the equation.