Gov.: Drones over Va. 'great'; cites battlefield success [View all]

Source: WTOP

Gov.: Drones over Va. 'great'; cites battlefield success
Tuesday - 5/29/2012, 12:21pm ET

Paul D. Shinkman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - Police drones flying over Virginia would be "great" and "the right thing to do" for the same reasons they are so effective in a battlefield environment, the state's chief executive said Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says he is open to any technology that makes law enforcement more productive. The use of drones, which was recently endorsed by the police chiefs of Fairfax County and D.C., would make better use of valuable police resources.

Increased safety and reduced manpower are among the reasons the U.S. military and intelligence community use drones on the battlefield, which is why it should be considered in Virginia, he says.

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McDonnell added Tuesday it will prove important to ensure the state maintains Americans' civil liberties, such as privacy, if it adds drones to its law enforcement arsenal.


Read more: http://www.wtop.com/120/2882193/Proven-in-battle-drones-great-for-Va