Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans defended the department’s purchase of three drones during an appearance on Boston Public Radio today.
“We’re trying to get with the times and the technology, and we have every intention, before we roll out the drones, to talk to the public,” he said. “We have a policy [to] work with our social justice task force to exactly say what the drones are going to be used for, and what they’re not going to be used for.”
Evans and the department have come under fire from privacy advocates like the Massachusetts ACLU, who says there should have been public discussion about the purchase of the drones.
Evans responded to criticisms by saying that since the drones are being used on a trial basis, he didn’t see the point of public disclosure of their purchase.
“If something’s only going to be tried out on a trial basis and not used down in the street, then I don’t see the need if we’re just going to fly it on our property or what not,” he said. “I agree, if I’m going to go out into the public space, before we do that, I will have a community process.”
The department experienced backlash last month after two officers were photographed using a drone at a housing project in Jamaica Plain.
Lieutenant Detective Michael McCarthy told the Boston Globe the officers were probably playing with a toy, since the department’s drones have not yet been tested.
Evans echoed his statement on Boston Public Radio. “Ours are still in the box, from what I’ve been told,” he said. “They haven’t been flown.”
The ACLU and other groups have said the use of drones without proper regulation could target neighborhoods without proper cause and could compromise privacy.
Evans explained that Bostonians shouldn’t be concerned about privacy violations because the drones will be used in public settings like protests.
“We’re not going to be flying drones into people’s bedrooms here,” he said. “We’re going to have it in public space where there’s no expectation of privacy for anybody.”
Evans also said they will augment surveillance already happening through the naked eye.
“We could use them for demonstrations; we could use them for security over someplace like the Women’s March where we had 175,000 people,” he said. “Now we have what happened in Las Vegas; if we can get a drone up and notice if anyone’s on rooftops, that’s a good thing.”
Evans also said drones could be used to clear crime scenes faster, as they can expedite photographing and measuring, since the process normally takes more than three hours.
“Having the ability to fly the drone will get all those dimensions, get the photos, and we can clear that scene and get the body off the street a lot quicker,” he said. “It will make us a more efficient and effective department.”
Police Commissioner Bill Evans joins us every month to take our questions and yours. To hear his interview in its entirety, click on the audio player above.
