Are Pandemic Drones a Step Too Far for Law Enforcement?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us to a place of uncomfortable choices. Such crossroads can be seen throughout history, so the principle is not new. What is new this time around is the technology that has led to the following question: are pandemic drones a step too far for law enforcement?

The Westport, Connecticut Police Department announced back in April plans to begin using drones to monitor people congregating in public spaces and warn them when they are not practicing social distancing guidelines. After an outcry from the ACLU and other groups, the plan was abandoned. Still, the company behind the drones continues to push its technology as a means of managing pandemics – both current and future.

• Detecting Infectious Conditions

Draganfly claims that the sensors on its drones are capable of detecting “infectious conditions from a distance of 190 feet.” That is a pretty bold claim that has not yet been supported by any hard and fast data. But let us assume it is true.

Such capabilities would require sensors capable of monitoring temperature, heart rate, and respiration at a distance. For the record, 190 feet is slightly more than twice the distance between the bases on a baseball diamond. That’s pretty impressive. It is essentially 60+ yards.

Those who object to the pandemic drones site several concerns. They acknowledge that advanced sensors are necessary to monitor vital signs. But even less advanced technologies, like video cameras, are required in order to determine if people are standing too close together. Introduce video cameras and you also introduce the possibility of facial recognition software and other technologies.

• Legitimate Privacy Concerns

All of this leads to obvious privacy concerns. Do we want law enforcement monitoring us from the air in an attempt to keep us apart? And if so, are we prepared for the future ramifications? Make no mistake, there will be ramifications. Once government assumes a responsibility, it almost never gives that responsibility back.

Government has taken upon itself the responsibility of ensuring people maintain established social distancing. But what happens when all of this is in the past? Government could then take it upon themselves to monitor crowds for any other perceived danger.

There is a very real concern here that pandemic drones will turn into 24/7 surveillance drones that keep citizens under the watchful eye of police every minute they are outside the house. For now, law enforcement says the drones will not be used to monitor private yards. They also say that facial recognition technology will not be deployed either.

That is all well and good for now, but what about the future? Once society gives the okay to pandemic drones as a means of enforcing social distancing, there is nothing to stop anyone from using those drones to monitor private property. There is nothing stopping the use of facial recognition technology either.

• Think Long and Hard

The point of this post is not to take a position one way or the other. Rather, it is to encourage readers to think long and hard about what we really want as a society. According to California-based Rock West Solutions, modern sensor technology is accelerating at a rapid rate. We now have sensors capable of doing things we only dreamed about a few decades ago.

As sensors improve in both capability and function, there will be greater opportunities for governments to use the technology in ways that might seem unethical or even immoral. Are we prepared to go down that road? It is something we need to think about before we give a thumbs up to pandemic drones.