The city of Baltimore is to be monitored by surveillance airplanes for up to six months next year under a pilot program announced on Friday that is aimed at helping law enforcement investigate violent crime and that would effectively restart a tactic secretively used three years ago.
The flights, which civil liberties groups oppose, are to start in May and gather footage during the hours when the city experiences high rates of crime.
The announcement marks a reversal for Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, who previously expressed skepticism over the use of the planes and described the idea as an “untested” crime-fighting strategy.
“We will be the first American city to use this technology in an attempt to solve and deter violent crime,” Harrison told a news conference.
He said he believes they could prove to be “yet another tool” to fight the violence plaguing the city.
The three planes would fly simultaneously, covering about 90 percent of the city, Baltimore police spokesman Matt Jablow said.
The resolution of the footage would not be sharp enough for officers to identify faces, but should help them track movement and action.
The testing would align with the city’s historically most violent months and would be focused on homicides, shootings and robberies, including carjackings.
Harrison said police would not have access to live feeds, and instead, officers would receive “evidence packages” of specific crimes that have already being reported.
Footage from the pilot program would not be used in cases of police misconduct.
Baltimore is experiencing one of its most violent years on record, with more than 330 homicides so far, up from 309 total last year.
The city has also seen more than 1,310 armed and unarmed commercial robberies and carjackings. It wrapped up last year with 1,361 of those cases.
Harrison acknowledged the controversial history of the planes and promised a series of public meetings to inform the community “on how the program will and will not be used going forward.”
Tunisian President Kais Saied yesterday condemned a European Parliament resolution on human rights calling for the release of his critics as “blatant interference.” The EU Parliament resolution, voted by an overwhelming majority the day before, called for the release of lawyer Sonia Dahmani, a popular critic of Saied, who was freed from prison on Thursday, but remained under judicial supervision. “The European Parliament [resolution] is a blatant interference in our affairs,” Saied said. “They can learn lessons from us on rights and freedoms.” Saied’s condemnation also came two days after he summoned the EU’s ambassador for “failing to respect diplomatic rules.” He also
Tropical Storm Koto killed three people and left another missing as it approached Vietnam, authorities said yesterday, as strong winds and high seas buffeted vessels off the country’s flood-hit central coast. Heavy rains have lashed Vietnam’s middle belt in recent weeks, flooding historic sites and popular holiday destinations, and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Authorities ordered boats to shore and diverted dozens of flights as Koto whipped up huge waves and dangerous winds, state media reported. Two vessels sank in the rough seas, a fishing boat in Khanh Hoa province and a smaller raft in Lam Dong, according to the
Sri Lanka made an appeal for international assistance yesterday as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 123, with another 130 reported missing. The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said relief operations had been strengthened with the deployment of thousands of troops from the country’s army, navy and air force. “We have 123 confirmed dead and another 130 missing,” Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo. Cyclone Ditwah was moving away from the island yesterday and
The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic. The recognition triggered a
RSS