Gov.: Drones over Va. ‘great’; cites battlefield success

Press

WASHINGTON – Police drones flying over Virginia would be “great” and “the right thing to do” for the same reasons they are so effective in a battlefield environment, the state’s chief executive said Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says he is open to any technology that makes law enforcement more productive. The use of drones, which was recently endorsed by the police chiefs of Fairfax County and D.C., would make better use of valuable police resources.

Increased safety and reduced manpower are among the reasons the U.S. military and intelligence community use drones on the battlefield, which is why it should be considered in Virginia, he says.

“It’s great,” he said while speaking on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” program. “If you’re keeping police officers safe, making it more productive and saving money…it’s absolutely the right thing to do.”

A proposal to purchase drones hasn’t yet reached his desk, he says, but state law enforcement agencies are looking for the the most current ways to fight crime.

That sentiment was echoed last month by David Rohrer, chief of police for Fairfax County, one of the state’s most affluent areas.

“Drones will certainly have a purpose and a reason to be in this region in the next, coming years,” he told WTOP. “Just as a standpoint as an alternative for spotting traffic and sending information back to our VDOT Smart Traffic centers, and being able to observe backups.”

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, a national security expert, told WTOP in early May that the use of drones is ideal for “a sprawling county” such as Fairfax.

http://wtop.com/120/2882193/Gov-Drones-over-Va-great-cites-battlefield-success