BRINC’s new police drone uses Starlink, carries Narcan, chases vehicles at 60mph
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
What are the chances that an armed version of this is not in development? Probably nothing lethal at this point, but pepper spray or a taser? Seems like just the sort of thing that would be worked up in R&D "just in case".
Upvote
161
(164
/
-3)
I wonder what strings come attached with a Thiel fellowship.
Be nice and you get a BRINC police drone. Be naughty and it might be switched to an Anduril one.
Be nice and you get a BRINC police drone. Be naughty and it might be switched to an Anduril one.
Upvote
74
(75
/
-1)
People have been strapping guns to drones for over a decade. Anything from amateurs and hand guns to Sig Sauer and a machine gun at a trade show.
Upvote
45
(45
/
0)
Upvote
13
(13
/
0)
Rip out all police and oligarch surveillance equipment. Demand data that shows effectiveness in "reducing crime". Raw data. Do not take officials' word for anything. Ask real cops on the street how much good it does. Save shitloads of money for investment in stuff people want and need.
The only surveillance we need to do is on the fucking creepy oligarchs.
The only surveillance we need to do is on the fucking creepy oligarchs.
Upvote
132
(149
/
-17)
There's a company in Wyoming that has a waiver from the FAA to shoot coyotes from their drone.
Upvote
34
(35
/
-1)
Upvote
155
(158
/
-3)
I don't really need a vivid imagination to picture a plethora of ways this can go horribly wrong.
Upvote
60
(62
/
-2)
This would be awesome if it was a drone for helping emergency medical services. Unfortunately, this one is a police drone, so all of the positive uses are just to distract from whatever evil they actually plan to use it for.
Upvote
105
(112
/
-7)
They talk about the drone carrying narcan and epipens but why do I have a feeling that's not what LEOs are actually going to have theirs carrying.
Upvote
126
(126
/
0)
I just wish it was a little more “Snow Crash” and a little less “everything William Gibson has ever written, but dumber and lamer”
Upvote
53
(53
/
0)
Yeah, distribute that stuff from known, familiar locations like we already do. Nobody's going looking for the police drone for their kit.
Upvote
7
(11
/
-4)
Indeed. I expect they'll have "issues" keeping aid supplies in stock but have no problem with the offensive supplies.
Upvote
25
(26
/
-1)
While I can understand the possible evils this could provide, I would like to be hopeful and see these used in lieu of making things worse. If these were deployed instead of a high speed chase, just think of the lives and damage that could be avoided. Granted, that the officers would need to be trained to stop and deploy these instead of following their instincts to give chase...
Upvote
24
(28
/
-4)
One of the challenges with drones is the risk differential compared to humans in law enforcement/military, etc.
We don't really restrain our actions as much on morality as we think, but on opportunity cost. If you can eliminate the risk of a US pilot being killed, the opportunity cost for attacking another country goes way down and if there's no moral backstop, that will result in more such attacks. Similarly with border security and the like. Why not chase every broken taillight if you have enough drones?
We don't really restrain our actions as much on morality as we think, but on opportunity cost. If you can eliminate the risk of a US pilot being killed, the opportunity cost for attacking another country goes way down and if there's no moral backstop, that will result in more such attacks. Similarly with border security and the like. Why not chase every broken taillight if you have enough drones?
Upvote
60
(62
/
-2)
They will always make things worse. The introduction of less-lethal tools like tasers wasn't a reduction in the number of police shootings as predicted, but a lowering of the bar for when violence would be introduced. Where police used to talk to someone, and try and keep the situation from escalating to a drawn weapon, tasers and rubber bullets and the like are now routinely deployed much earlier, and when it appears someone is resisting while being tazed, that's when lethal force comes out.
The problem with policing in the US isn't the lack of tools, and adding new tools won't change the cultural expectation that they exist to provide order, not law enforcement.
Upvote
96
(98
/
-2)
If there's one thing in this world that can successfully be replaced by a remotely controlled drone, it's a Police helicopter. I haven't exactly seen these drop officers to assist, or ram criminals' cars off the road. They fly, observe and report. Precisely what a drone does for way less money, all other things being equal (remotely controlled by human operators, etc).
It will be less fun and not as legendary, but all things considered - this is just like the traffic news helicopters - they were a thing, then they weren't.
It will be less fun and not as legendary, but all things considered - this is just like the traffic news helicopters - they were a thing, then they weren't.
Upvote
50
(55
/
-5)
That's exactly it. "Crime prediction" systems are the worst in terms of perverse incentives, but any hardware incorporated into LE carries the risk.
The real moral hazard remains as it has for years - the citizens do not care enough to demand the removal of bad cops from the force. It has been and continues to drain the force of cops wanting to serve and protect and fill it with those who are there for the thrills and the kills.
Upvote
34
(35
/
-1)
Upvote
7
(10
/
-3)
Does it carry Narcan for when the officers have a panic attack after being in the general vicinity of drugs? Cuz I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it's not gonna help lol.
Naloxone administration is hard to fuck up and the drug causes almost no issues if it's administered inappropriately, so it is pretty safe even if a bit useless in the hands of the average cop. Epi, fantastic idea. The pens making it nearly impossible to fuck up.
Cop drones? Absolutely not.
Naloxone administration is hard to fuck up and the drug causes almost no issues if it's administered inappropriately, so it is pretty safe even if a bit useless in the hands of the average cop. Epi, fantastic idea. The pens making it nearly impossible to fuck up.
Cop drones? Absolutely not.
Upvote
22
(27
/
-5)
Right, but the budget is what kept the police helicopter constrained. My city has had drones for a few years and they show up all the time now. Do you need drones to chase teenagers on their bikes? Because cities are using drones to chase teenagers on their bikes.
Upvote
78
(78
/
0)
I read it carries epipens and other things to help people in need so I was not thinking of the policing aspect, I was thinking of the saving lives part.
We have a lot of forest areas here, hikers get lost, with a 60 miles range this could not only help in finding them but also deliver some supplies till main help arrives.
Upvote
-2
(11
/
-13)
all hail the new police drone overlords. can we sue the drone manufacturer when this inevitably goes wrong or do they also get qualified immunity?
Upvote
18
(22
/
-4)
Motorola Solutions involvement pretty much means it will cost three times competitors equivalents, be oversold in a flashy way at IACP and similar conferences, not work as expected unless you pay them more money for support, then get forgotten about in a few years as they go and buy a new company with some other flashy stuff. Not that they've ever done anything like this in the past several years.
Upvote
17
(17
/
0)
Why would that be a problem? Power lines in any given area have a known, relatively low height. Above that height they aren't an issue.
See also: Helicopter pursuit.
Upvote
11
(11
/
0)
Dispensing emergency drugs only makes sense if the drones are significantly faster than EMS services. Around here, EMS vehicles are scattered around so there's always at least one some specified maximum distance/time from all points of coverage.
I'm not really seeing, either, what these tools are supposed to do without someone to administer them. The victim typically isn't in any shape to do so if they're so far gone that their symptoms are visually discernible from a distance.
Upvote
31
(31
/
0)
The zoom lens alone is worrying enough.
Wonder how quiet they are - you know the scene in "Blue Thunder" I'm thinking of...
Upvote
23
(23
/
0)
Yeah, I have heard of them. I see personnel being cut and technology chewing up budgets.
Upvote
14
(18
/
-4)
Doesn't have a sixty mile range, can do an hour on a charge and sixty miles an hour, but there is no way it does both of those on the same charge lol.
Upvote
35
(37
/
-2)