from the flying-internet-of-cypherpunk-criminals dept.
Burglars in the UK are sending unmanned drones over houses in order to identify potential targets, police have warned. Suffolk Constabulary confirmed it had received at least one report of drones being used by burglars for surveillance of properties ("casing the joint"). Paul Ford, secretary of the Police Federation National Detectives Forum, said: "Drones can be noisy and very visible so hopefully criminals risk giving themselves away. If members of the public observe drones being used in areas which make them suspicious they should contact police using the 101 non-emergency number to report it."
Why not just shoot them down? "Oops I thought it was a bird." The task can surely be automated. Obligatory xkcd.
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Homeland Security bulletin warns of weaponized drones and threat to aviation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an updated terror bulletin on Thursday highlighting the threat of weaponized drones, chemical attacks and the continued targeting of commercial aircraft.
"We continue to face one of the most challenging threat environments since 9/11, as foreign terrorist organizations exploit the internet to inspire, enable or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," reads the bulletin.
[...] "The current bulletin introduces unmanned aircraft systems as potential threats and highlights sustained concern regarding threats against commercial aviation and air cargo," said DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton in a statement.
There's been an "uptick in terrorist interest" in using unmanned aerial systems as weapons in the United States and other western countries, according to a senior DHS official. These tactics have been used by terrorists on the battlefield, and the department wants to "guard against those tactics being exported to the west," said the official. The official said that DHS wants to be "forward leaning" about seeing what terrorists are doing overseas and tactics they might adopt in the future.
Since the last bulletin, concerns about terrorist targeting aviation sector have grown, said the official. "[T]errorists continue to target commercial aviation and air cargo, including with concealed explosives," reads the updated bulletin.
Related: UK Criminals Use Drones To Case Burglary Targets
Drones Banned from Flying Within 32 Miles of Super Bowl
FAA Updates its Ban on Drones in Washington
Prison Blames Drone for Inmate's Escape
FAA Restricts Drone Operations Over 10 U.S. Landmarks
(Score: 2, Interesting) by takyon on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:32AM
"High-crime area".
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:33AM
> Why not just shoot them down? "Oops I thought it was a bird." The task can surely be automated.
This is England, not some third world country like the USA.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:53AM
Don't mock our land, you fool!
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by redneckmother on Wednesday May 20 2015, @03:56AM
Sorry that you folk surrendered your rights, and firearms. Perhaps you'll take a page from the American Rovolution? :-)
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 1) by redneckmother on Wednesday May 20 2015, @03:59AM
s/Rovolution/Revolution/
Too much Stout - sorry.
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @07:27AM
You mean, surrendering your rights but keeping the firearms?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @05:27PM
The US Constitutional right to bear firearms is only for the purposes of being the militia. You'd know that if you'd ever read the thing.
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Wednesday May 20 2015, @03:51PM
Let me introduce you to the joys of the wrist rocket style slingshot. (Clue: Shooting firearms inside the city limits is usually illegal here in the "backward lawless colonies", too. Gunshots often bring police and the police have more guns than you do.)
"Slingshot, officer? No, never had one of those. I think I saw one of the neighborhood kids with one a couple days ago. Don't think I could identify him, though." :)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @02:42AM
At first they wanted to use the pedophile tactic to make people fear drones - pedophiles are using drones to check out your kids! But the UK seems to be ok with pedophiles (at least at a government level) so now they resort to burglary as a fear tactic. Well I guess it makes a change from terrorism for once.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @02:59AM
That's pretty much what I was thinking. Well not so much the invective but the part about yet another hyped up threat that probably only happened once or maybe was just a bunch of coppers drinking and bullshitting after work one Friday, it got out of hand and by Monday it was an official threat because somebody wanted to look good for a promotion.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by lars on Wednesday May 20 2015, @03:58AM
If I can't afford a drone, I doubt the criminal breaking into my house can either. Should they, one would think there would be a lot of data about where the drone had been stored on it, or the computer used to control it. If anything, it would make them easier to catch, and know where they had been allowing for more charges, and easier prosecution.
(Score: 2) by quadrox on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:45PM
wow, what a load of un-insightful crap.
1) Thieves and burglars do what they do because it is easer than real work. This doesn't necessarily mean that they make more money than , but the smart ones probably will.
2) Why ever would the drone store any data about where it has been or something like that? At most you will find the last half hour of video that has been recorded (if it isn't live streamed), and that will only show you the approach to your house. And if you take the time to watch it, I'm quite sure the criminals will be long gone by then, since they will realize that the drone is no longer under their control.
Now sure, there might be some criminals that would completely mess it up - there are plenty of stupid criminals after all - but if I were you I would show more concerns towards the smarter criminals.
(Score: 3, Informative) by M. Baranczak on Wednesday May 20 2015, @02:03PM
If I can't afford a drone, I doubt the criminal breaking into my house can either.
A small drone with a camera can be bought for a hundred American bucks. I'm sure they can't be much more expensive in Britain. If you can't afford that, then you probably have nothing worth stealing, so you'll be OK.
(Score: 1) by lars on Wednesday May 20 2015, @09:54PM
Don't those only work indoor because of wind?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @07:39PM
What makes you think the criminals would be buying the drone? These are burglars we are talking about.
And if you really can't afford a drone (they aren't that expensive), then perhaps you wouldn't be a target of this anyway.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @05:29PM
I fear drones, but not in the hands of pedophiles or criminals - I fear drones in the hands of law enforcement.