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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Has the use of drones by law enforcement increased in response to COVID-19?
Monday, July 20, 2020
By Allegra Taylor
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YES
As of March 2020, 1,578 emergency-service agencies, 70% of them involved in law enforcement, were utilizing drone technology, up by 500 in less than two years.
In April, DJI—a major manufacturer—donated 100 drones to local law enforcement agencies. The company said a Florida police force would use its allotment to spot large groups of people and ask them to disperse, limiting exposure risk to its officers.
Use of the technology has raised privacy concerns. Objections from residents of Westport, Connecticut, led its police force to withdraw from a test program using drones to monitor from a distance individuals' temperature, heart and respiratory rates.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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