FAQ :: What are MAVs and Cyberbugs?
Some of the UAVs that may be used in America are micro air vehicles (MAVs) which were developed by the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA). The police department, of Miami-Dade County is seeking permission to use them. [1] And the Charles County Sheriff's office in Maryland has used a small unmanned flying device dubbed the "CyberBug" for crowd control and surveillance.
CyberBug looks like a model airplane married to a kite and is controlled by a joystick type device. It can be carried in the truck of a squad car and is launched on its way by literally tossing it into the sky. From there the joystick controller takes over and its camera signal is sent in real-time back to a laptop computer.
The sheriff's office used the device for two 30-minute flights in 2005 to monitor the annual "Blessing of the Bikes" event at the Charles County Fairgrounds, which officials said was attended by some 8,000 people.
I was quite impressed with how easy it was launch and how well it monitored the area," said Lt. Chris Becker, commander, Homeland Security and Intelligence for the Charles County Sheriff's department. "Besides crowd and traffic control, I see law enforcement using the CyberBug in a multitude of applications, especially when it comes to crime fighting and homeland security. [2]
The Miami-Dade police used a $50,000 grant to buy a MAV is used by the military to scan dangerous areas before troops are sent in. [3] [4]
Police departments get federal grants to buy spy gizmos to keep tabs on law abiding citizens. This is the Big Brother plan to militarize and take total control of all police departments in America. News reports confirm the expansion and growth of this type of surveillance throughout the U.S.A.
[1] Sofge, Erik. "Houston Cops' Test Drone Now in Iraq, Operator Says." 10.01.2009. www.popular mechanics.com/science/space/4234272.
[2]"Houston, Texas to Deploy UAV Speeding Ticket Drones." The Newspaper. com. 11.23.2007. www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2084.asp.
[3] Meeks, Brock, N. "'Eyes in the sky' for Homeland security." MSNBC. 8.27.2005. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9069787.
[4] "Dade Cops Waiting To Get Crime Fighting Drone Airborne." 3.09.2011. http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/03/09/dade-cops-waiting-to-get-crime-fighting-dron e-airborne.