Drones are not coming to Gainesville.
They’re not worth it, said Ben Tobias, Gainesville Police Department’s public information officer.
The police department and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office have what Tobias calls, “eyes in the sky,” a Joint Aviation Unit that consists of three helicopters that patrol six days per week — weather permitting.
Drones “take the human element out of it,” he said.
When trying to follow someone from the air with a camera, it’s difficult to keep him or her in the frame, he explained. The advantage of having a person in the helicopter is that she can simply look around until she finds the person and then adjust the camera. Without a human in the helicopter, it would not be as effective.
Besides, there’s no extra money in the budget for drones, Tobias said.
The city’s recommended budget for last year allocated $378,299 to the program. (Further clarification is being sought via public records request.)
Even if there was money in the budget, new laws could prevent police from using drones.
A bill introduced by Senator Joe Negron, called the “Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act,” would make it illegal for law enforcement to use drones in Florida.
Zachary Selden, an assistant professor in the University of Florida’s political science department, sees drones as merely a different tool to accomplish the same job as a manned aircraft. The only difference is that they’re much smaller, and they don’t need to stop for a bathroom break.
As the technology gets cheaper, he expects that drones will be used by law enforcement agencies.
There are even drones that operate like hovercrafts and tiny helicopters that can be launched inside of buildings to detect things like bombs, he said, adding that he saw an exhibition of one when he worked for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Ultimately, the same judgment calls need to be made whether using a drone or a normal helicopter.
And when it comes to surveillance, “There’s nothing in the legal framework that says your image can’t be taken in public places,” he said.
