Michigan State Police Drones State Wide?

As being reported by anarticle I read in the Detroit News, the Michigan State Police are asking for state wide authorization to be the first state in the nation to use aerial drones for an overhead view of vehicle crash sites.

The agency is asking for permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly a $158,000 remote-controlled tiny helicopter over these large crash sites. Our state police pilots have been training to use this drone for more than a year.

What are the benefits?

Michigan State police officials are saying the drone will reduce the time required to survey and reconstruct major crash scenes, like the 193-vehicle pileup that shut down a section of Interstate 94 between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek earlier this month.

In the Detroit News, Michigan State Police stated that "It took two days to reopen the highway after the pileup, in part because crash investigators had to take detailed measurements and photos of the scene before they could begin clearing the wreckage of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, Etue said. Ontario Provincial Police reports up to an 87 percent reduction in the time for its drones to photograph and reconstruct crash areas."

1st Lt. Chris Bush. told the Detroit News that "the FAA has only granted licenses to fly unmanned aerial vehicles to a handful of municipal police agencies across the country. FAA officials are coming to Lansing next month to make a final review of the state police's training and drone use policies."

Sounds like a great idea to me. Does it to you?

Do you have any concerns about the possible abuse of this?

What about the slippery-slope concept?

Let’s us discuss this today on my show the Live with Renk show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section.