By Anthony Galante, Faculty Member, Criminal Justice, American Military University and Jeremy Nikolow, alumnus, Criminal Justice, American Military University
Creating change in the criminal justice field does not often go over well. But, like life, change in law enforcement is inevitable. Both crime and crime-prevention strategies are always evolving in response to technological advances. One of the more recent and highly prolific technological developments involves unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones. These airborne devices have quickly become an effective tool for criminal activity. Drones are currently being exploited to commit criminal acts and law enforcement agencies must acquire countermeasures to minimize how drones are being used to facilitate illegal activities.
How Drones are Being Used, and Abused
Drones are unmanned flying aircraft that can be controlled by an operator or autonomously programmed using computer software to be flown according to GPS coordinates. Drones come in various shapes and sizes and can be customized to carry out specific functions. Recent technological advancements and strong commercialization has made drones much more affordable to the public and there has been a rapid influx of devices into the market.
These devices have become so popular that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released a statement that there were more registered drone operators in the U.S. than licensed pilots. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), drone sales in 2015 were projected to reach 400,000 units. The CEA also reported that the number of drone flights per day could reach 1 million by the year 2035.
Full Story: Correctional agencies’ response to drone intrusions
