Local
Bellingham Police’s new drone program takes flight
Meet in Common connects news with real conversations. Use ThinkMatch to arrange a Roundtable and meet people to discuss this story.
Source: Salish Current
Bellingham’s police drone program promises faster responses, but raises questions about privacy and transparency Bellingham police say their new Drone as First Responder program can give officers and other emergency responders a view of an incident within minutes of a 911 call. But as the department deploys drones across the city, residents and privacy advocates are questioning how the technology is used, what information it collects and how the public can hold the department accountable. The City of Bellingham and Bellingham Police Department did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. The Bellingham Police Department launched its Drone as First Responder program on Oct. 6, according to the City of Bellingham’s announcement. Trained officers remotely pilot drones to emergency scenes, where live video is intended to help responders assess situations before they arrive at the scene.
This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.
Read the original at Salish Current
