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Drones intone 'you must stay home,' eliciting moans from those in the zone: Flying gizmos corral Brits amid coronavirus lockdown

(2020/03/28)


Authorities in the UK have begun using drones to direct the public to comply with public health measures announced on Monday to [1]limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

On Thursday, the Neath Port Talbot Council, which serves the Welsh towns of Neath and Port Talbot, said it is working with local police and the Safer Neath Port Talbot Community Partnership to deploy drones "to distribute public information" in the area.

The police and community groups say they're focusing areas where people are not following government social distancing recommendations.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, health secretary Matt Hancock both test positive for COVID-19 coronavirus [2]READ MORE

"The drones are equipped with speakers that will transmit messages directly to the public," [3]said the Neath Port Talbot Council via Twitter. "We are reminding residents to stay at home except for: shopping for necessities, obtaining medical supplies, one period of daily exercise, and traveling to and from essential work."

The post includes video of a drone lifting off from the pavement outside a SpecSavers optical retail store. A polite but emphatic voice can be heard from the drone's on-board speaker directing anyone within earshot to follow government rules and stay home.

The shadow of what appears to be the drone's operator can be seen at the left edge of the frame as the video begins, which calls into question the need for a drone in the first place.

Drones are now being used to distribute public information messages across NPT during the [4]#coronavirus outbreak. We have teamed up with [5]@swpolice to survey hotspots where people are not following government measures on social distancing 1/2 [6]@saferneathpt [7]@SWPNeath [8]@SWPPortTalbot [9]pic.twitter.com/9pbC6lKUyV — Neath Port Talbot Council (@NPTCouncil) [10]March 26, 2020

As Twitter user Frazer Shaw [11]pointed out the obvious, "You know you could do the same thing with an officer and a megaphone and it would have much less of a creepy 'Judge Dredd police vibe', right?"

South Wales Police didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

UK-based privacy group Big Brother Watch denounced the drone public announcement scheme as Orwellian. "Drones are an unnecessarily sinister way of communicating public health advice," the group [12]said via Twitter. "It must stop."

There's no sign it will. Police in the UK have been testing drones at least since 2007 and they're increasingly used for law enforcement-oriented surveillance around the globe.

Derbyshire Police on Thursday published drone footage of scenic destination Curbar Edge in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, in an effort to shame people flouting government health guidance. The video scolds individuals watching dogs and taking pictures for engaging in non-essential activity.

Despite posts yesterday highlighting issues of people still visiting the [13]#PeakDistrict despite government guidance, the message is still not getting through. [14]@DerPolDroneUnit have been out at beauty spots across the county, and this footage was captured at [15]#CurbarEdge last night. [16]pic.twitter.com/soxWvMl0ls — Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) [17]March 26, 2020

"Whilst the government has advised to take one form of exercise a day, it is not appropriate to be getting in your car and travelling to take this exercise, particularly to a location, such as the Peak District that in normal times can become busy," the Derbyshire Police [18]said .

On Friday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had [19]tested positive for COVID-19. ®



[1] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/23/uk_coronavirus_lockdown_measures/

[2] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/27/prime_minister_tests_positive_coronavirus/

[3] https://twitter.com/NPTCouncil/status/1243218983685427201?s=20

[4] https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[5] https://twitter.com/swpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[6] https://twitter.com/saferneathpt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[7] https://twitter.com/SWPNeath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[8] https://twitter.com/SWPPortTalbot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[9] https://t.co/9pbC6lKUyV

[10] https://twitter.com/NPTCouncil/status/1243218979851821056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[11] https://twitter.com/frazershaw90/status/1243557182282567683?s=20

[12] https://twitter.com/BigBrotherWatch/status/1243552288687480833?s=20

[13] https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeakDistrict?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[14] https://twitter.com/DerPolDroneUnit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[15] https://twitter.com/hashtag/CurbarEdge?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[16] https://t.co/soxWvMl0ls

[17] https://twitter.com/DerbysPolice/status/1243168931503882241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[18] https://twitter.com/DerbysPolice/status/1243215050120335360?s=20

[19] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/27/prime_minister_tests_positive_coronavirus/

Black helicopters

steelpillow

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Anonymous Coward

In their eagerness to use powers they’ve been given, police forces are making up their own rules by misquoting the guidance.

“...traveling to and from essential work” is NOT in the government’s directives or guidance. Travel is allowed to a workplace even if it is for work that could be deemed non-essential, if it cannot be done remotely. Obviously measures must be in place at the workplace to prevent transmission of the virus.

Anonymous Coward

'In their eagerness to mis use powers they’ve been given..'

FTFY..

Still, we should cut them some slack...after all, they're just a bunch of [1]weans wi a new toy to play with..hopefully someone will remember to buy them their 'my little hitler' costumes to go with it.

Give them an inch, eh?

[1] https://mobile.twitter.com/BigBrotherWatch/status/1242244263058059265/photo/1

Anonymous Coward

NOWHERE IS IT LIMITED TO ONE TRIP/EXERCISE. Police need reigning in.

Actual legislation:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Restrictions on movement

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—

(a)to obtain basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for those in the same household (including any pets or animals in the household) or for vulnerable persons and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or the household of a vulnerable person, or to obtain money, including from any business listed in Part 3 of Schedule 2;

(b)to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;

(c)to seek medical assistance, including to access any of the services referred to in paragraph 37 or 38 of Schedule 2;

(d)to provide care or assistance, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(3), to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;

(e)to donate blood;

(f)to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living;

(g)to attend a funeral of—

(i)a member of the person’s household,

(ii)a close family member, or

(iii)if no-one within sub-paragraphs (i) or (ii) are attending, a friend;

(h)to fulfil a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;

(i)to access critical public services, including—

(i)childcare or educational facilities (where these are still available to a child in relation to whom that person is the parent, or has parental responsibility for, or care of the child);

(ii)social services;

(iii)services provided by the Department of Work and Pensions;

(iv)services provided to victims (such as victims of crime);

(j)in relation to children who do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents, to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children, and for the purposes of this paragraph, “parent” includes a person who is not a parent of the child, but who has parental responsibility for, or who has care of, the child;

(k)in the case of a minister of religion or worship leader, to go to their place of worship;

(l)to move house where reasonably necessary;

(m)to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the place where a person is living includes the premises where they live together with any garden, yard, passage, stair, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance of such premises.

(4) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any person who is homeless.

Re: (e)to donate blood;

Ken Moorhouse

So it's ok to play rugby then.

Re: (e)to donate blood;

Richard 81

As long as both teams are all members of your household, yes.

Dog Walkers remember:

Anonymous Coward

Don't [1]Take Them Out .

[1] https://youtu.be/M2QpMNOm7bg

Bo Derek ruined my life!