Local

It seems the paper's discussion of Dayton's plan to put a surveillance plane over the city had an effect. Our rulers delayed implementing the plan. Here's a couple of juicy quotes:

"At Wednesday’s work session, Police Chief Richard Biehl showed actual photos taken from a 2012 test run of the technology, which is effective only during daylight hours."

That's rather limiting, but it assuages people's fears about a nighttime Peeping Tom.

"PSS President Ross McNutt said technicians watching the video would not be able to make out a person’s face or a car’s license plate, and the very blurry images shown Wednesday confirmed that. But Biehl explained how the cameras did help solve a crime during last year’s test. Police reviewed video from a burglary site and tracked the suspect vehicle to its eventual destination, where police made an arrest."

They're trying to have it both ways. It sounds like pathetic technology. Government can read license plates from space, but these guys can't from 10,000 feet? But this is more on the slippery slope. Better cameras would be implemented within weeks of purchase because they would be more valuable. This bad camera is about fooling people into believing this surveillance won't actually invade privacy.

The original story on this said the plane would only be used on active investigations. It seems the proposal has already advanced down the slippery slope.

"With fewer resources, police need new tools. That’s one rationale Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl offers for asking the city to spend $120,000 for an airplane to monitor crime hot spots from high above the city.
The idea is to focus on areas where “patterns” of crime are developing — a spike in the number of neighborhood break-ins, for example. Finding an “emerging crime pattern that we think is going to continue” is the key to intelligently using airborne surveillance, the chief said.
“This isn’t just a needle in a haystack,” Biehl said. “Once a crime pattern has has been identified, we will arrange flight times during times we think crimes may be committed.”"

Patterns aren't active investigations. Our rulers and their propagandists at the DDN are really pushing this.

"The surveillance flights would happen mostly during daylight or daybreak and twilight, Biehl said. The piloted planes are equipped with high-definition cameras and would fly at roughly 10,000 feet above the city."

Mostly? High definition? Get your story straight.

"Some crimes may be discovered after they have been committed, Biehl said. When that happens, the department can examine recordings from above to track notable “comings and goings” at a reported crime scene, he said."

Here's another contradiction to the active investigation claim.

"Biehl said he’s aware of potential objections. But no one who commits crime in public should have any expectation of privacy, he said. And he said the department has “no interest” in law-abiding activity."

Straw man. Nobody claims criminals have an expectation of privacy. And we're supposed trust them about everything else.

Fourteen school districts want to steal more money to hire more bureaucrats.

Ten local governments want to steal 36 million more dollars to hire more bureaucrats.

Local gas prices jumped 50 cents and continue to rise. Thanks, Obama.