Civil rights activists are hoping to stop the state of Connecticut from being the first U.S. state to use drones equipped with Deadly Weapons. On Wednesday, the state's legislature's judiciary committee approved, overwhelmingly, that it would ban all drones carrying arms. However, just before the bill was put to a vote, it was amended to exclude restrictions on the state's law enforcement agencies.
The first state to allow armed drones was North Dakota in 2015, but limited their weapons to tear gas, beanbags, rubber bullets and pepper spray – labeling them the “less than lethal” type.
North Dakota's original bill would not allow any weapons whatsoever on police drones. Republican state Representative Rick Becker, who sponsored North Dakota's original bill, said he wasn't happy with how that part of the law turned out.
36 states without deadly weapon drones
According to the United States National Conference of State Legislatures, currently, there are 36 states that have laws that do not allow drones equipped with weapons, and four states have specified limits on drones with weapons.
Connecticut’s executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, David McGuire, said that their data shows there is a disproportionate use of police force on minority communities.
McGuire believes Connecticut should not set the kind of precedent that allows their Law Enforcement Agencies to use “lethally armed drones.”
Bill goes to the Senate if it passes the House
In 2015 alone, more than 40 people were killed in the U.S. by police tasers. Less than lethal drones carrying tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, and beanbags can be life threatening.
Technology is improving every day. Many activists, police, and prosecutors are extremely concerned that drones carrying deadly weapons will not be limited to law enforcement agencies. There is a justifiable fear that with today's technology and security concerns, criminals with drones might equip theirs with guns and bombs in order to cause havoc.
