Kingston Police’s use of a drone to catch distracted drivers stirs backlash
The deployment of a police drone to catch distracted drivers at busy intersections in Kingston, Ontario, has ignited a fierce debate, pitting law enforcement efficiency against fundamental privacy rights. Earlier this month, Kingston Police officers utilized a drone, hovering high above traffic, to capture video evidence of motorists using their phones while driving, resulting in 20 tickets being issued in a single day. While police defend the tactic as a technologically advanced equivalent of traditional methods—such as peering down from buses—legal and constitutional experts swiftly condemned the move. The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) has already threatened court action, arguing that the close-range, indiscriminate aerial surveillance is an unreasonable search that violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This pioneering, yet controversial, approach in Kingston sits at the cutting edge of a national discussion regarding where the boundaries of digital surveillance should be drawn, particularly when an individual is inside the perceived sanctuary of their private vehicle.
Kingston Police’s use of a drone to catch distracted drivers stirs backlash
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Kingston Police’s use of a drone to catch distracted drivers stirs backlash – słówka