COPS' EYE IN SKY
Spooky Big Brother spy in the sky..or necessary evil in the fight against crime?
BRITAIN'S first police spy drone was launched yesterday triggering increased fears of a Big Brother society.
The remote control helicopter is fitted with night vision and CCTV cameras.
It will track criminals and record antisocial behaviour, sending instant high quality images back to a support vehicle or control room.
The probe was launched the day after Hampshire Deputy Chief Constable Ian Readhead warned that the UK's 4.2 million surveillance cameras were creating an "Orwellian" world.
Liberty spokesman Gareth Crossman said: "There seems to be no end to the sci-fi possibilities that get served up as an alternative to serious policing.
Cameras have their place.
But even a flying version is no substitute for officers on the streets."
But senior officers in Merseyside, who are trialling the device, insisted it did not threaten liberties.
Instead, they said it was a vital new tool in the fight against crime.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: "Obviously a point of view has been expressed. But our feedback from the public is that anything we can do to fight crime is a good thing.
"People clamour for the feeling of safety which cameras give. There are safeguards covering the use of CCTV. The higher the level of intrusion, the higher the level of authority needed to use it. So there is a balance."
Peter Kilfoyle, Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, also dismissed fears of Big Brother. He said: "I'm more concerned with reducing crime.
Anything that detects it can only be positive."
The mini-helicopter, which is almost silent, was first designed for military reconnaissance.
It is only a metre wide, weighs less than a bag of sugar and can record images from a height of 500metres. It can be deployed in less than three minutes and is flown by remote control or by using pre-programmed global positioning systems.
Officers are also looking at how the probe could be used in firearms operations and monitoring traffic.
It is expected to be operational next month.
Mr Byrne said: "We're always looking at how to put more officers on the street.
"Maximising technology is a way of achieving this.
"It's a cost-effective way of helping to catch criminals and supports similar technology we're using in our vans and helicopter."
Mirror
