Police in one coastal Texas community say they have added a fleet of drones to their arsenal to keep a constant eye on the thousands of college students expected to visit the area by the end of the month.
Officers with the South Padre Island Police Department have added two new drones with high definition video capabilities to their bag of law enforcement tools. Officials say the drones were purchased to keep spring break partiers in check this month and continue patrolling throughout the busy summer season.
“It’s going to give us a bird’s eye view when we need it,” Gary Ainsworth, the city of South Padre Island’s public information officer, told local reporters. “It’s a 4K camera, so it’s crystal clear.”
The police department is playing up drone patrols as a way to keep spring breakers safe while visiting.
“We can use it for beach patrol,” police Chief Randy Smith told local media. “We’re looking at deploying some that have a safety feature that releases a life jacket over a subject that is in distress.”
But, as with the red light cameras popping up all over the nation, the camera-equipped drones will likely also become a big revenue-producer for the locale by helping officers identify minor violations that officers on foot may otherwise miss. After all, vacationers up to minor illegal activity such as violating local container ordinances or recreational drug use are more likely to notice the physical presence of an officer— as opposed to a drone hovering quietly overhead— and conceal the behavior.
The Free Thought Project’s John Vibes recently predicted that the net result of the drone patrols will be thousands of charges for victimless crimes, with little addition to public safety.
“For generations, college students have been able blow off some steam during spring break in relative safety,” he said. “Even in the past, students who went on vacation to party, had a better chance of getting arrested than they did of getting hurt or mugged.
“Police encounters are the greatest danger that spring breakers face while they are on vacation, and it has become even worse in the modern police state.”
And there will be plenty of law enforcers on hand to act on the tips of the little birds in the sky. Local media report that Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officers, state troopers and Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens will be on hand to keep partiers in check.
If the drone patrols do become a big moneymaker, you can bet that it won’t be long before you notice them hovering overhead in many destination areas.
The post Headed to the beach? Big Brother could be watching appeared first on Personal Liberty®.
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