Alameda’s public protection committee to hear sheriffs UAS pitch.

The Public Protection Committee of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will once again hear a pitch from the Sheriff’s Office as they request permission to purchase and begin deploying Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The proposal had once before been withdrawn in the face of ACLU and privacy advocate concerns.

The latest presentation, to be given by Captains Tom Wright and Tom Madigan of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, will outline not only the background of why the County canpurchase the sUAS, but also how it will use it once certified for flight.

By definition, the sUAS classification is for unmanned drones weighing less than 4.4 pounds. One such model, the Lifesaver 425, boasts the ability to be deployed from the trunk of a car within seconds, and is virtually undetectable if flying above 100 feet. If flying at 50 feet, the manufacturer claims, its engines are virtually inaudible. The ability to capture video, GPS data, and images could prove beneficial for law enforcement in certain situations.

http://www.publicceo.com/2013/02/alamedas-public-protection-committee-to-hear-sheriffs-uav-pitch/