NEW JERSEY PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE POLICE AUTHORITY TO SHOOT DOWN DESTRUCTIVE DRONES
New Jersey’s sheriff, G. Patti Ann McKenna, is pushing for a bill that would give police the authority to shoot down drones deemed to be a threat to public safety. The proposal comes amid a rise in incidents of drones being used to drop contraband into prisons and other secure facilities.
According to NJ.com, the bill would allow law enforcement to use lethal force on any drone deemed to be a danger to the public or to someone’s life, similar to the powers granted to police to shoot down suspicious balloons.
Sheriff McKenna, a proponent of the bill, has said that the proliferation of drones has created a “public safety issue” and that law enforcement needs the tools to address it.
“We need to be able to take down these drones if they’re a threat to somebody’s life or if they’re posing a danger to the public in some way,” McKenna was quoted as saying.
The proposal has drawn some criticism, with some privacy advocates expressing concerns that giving police the authority to shoot down drones could lead to unnecessary use of force and potentially violate civil liberties.
“We’re concerned that this kind of law could lead to abuses and unfair targeting of individuals or groups, particularly in communities of color or low-income areas,” said a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The proposal is currently being reviewed by state lawmakers and is expected to be debated in the coming months.
