Drones! Do we need more?

By-Hank Stolz

Photo- Radio Worcester

WORCESTER, MA– Drones! Do we need more so that they can be deployed quicker to help with police work? Tom Marino of thisweekinworcester.com and Mark Henderson of the016.com say the question of cost, how effective programs already in use such as ShotSpotter are, lead them to feel the time is not right for more drones. Mark Henderson noted that there was no independent, peer-reviewed research proving that ShotSpotter worked, and the city relied on anecdotal successes from the police department. Tom Marino used Chula Vista, California, as an example of how a drone program’s cost could escalate dramatically, from an initial $2,500 pilot to a $1.5 million budget item in three years. Concern over that the expanded use of government-operated drones would lead to excessive surveillance and an erosion of civil liberties was also discussed. Both Mark and Tom suggested that based on their experience as “City Hall Watchers,” the proposal was likely the first step of a fully formed, pre-planned strategy to implement a costly system.