Back in September, we were first alerted that HPD wanted to add drones to its force, to help with traffic and tactical situations:
Executive Assistant Chief Martha Montalvo confirmed the department is close to making it happen.
“And what’s important and what needs to get out there is we are doing this in cooperation and assistance with the FAA,” said Montalvo.
[snip]
“I can tell you right now, I don’t want to get into specifics, but we are looking at state of the art, actually drones that have been used by the military,” said Montalvo.
So it’s unclear why the assistant police chief tried (unsuccessfully) to be all stealthy when HPD recently tested the surveillance drones, as KPRC-2 reported last week:
Neighbors in rural Waller County said they thought a top-secret military venture was under way among the farmland and ranches, some 70 miles northwest of Houston. KPRC Local 2 Investigates had four hidden cameras aimed at a row of mysterious black trucks. Satellite dishes and a swirling radar added to the neighbors’ suspense.
Then, cameras were rolling as an unmanned aircraft was launched into the sky and operated by remote control.
Houston police cars were surrounding the land with a roadblock in place to check each of the dignitaries arriving for the invitation-only event. The invitation spelled out, “NO MEDIA ALLOWED.“
HPD Chief Harold Hurtt attended, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and dozens of officers from various police agencies in the Houston area. Few of the guests would comment as they left the test site.
News Chopper 2 had a Local 2 Investigates team following the aircraft for more than one hour as it circled overhead. Its wings spanned 10 feet and it circled at an altitude of 1,500 feet. Operators from a private firm called Insitu, Inc. manned remote controls from inside the fleet of black trucks as the guests watched a live feed from the high-powered camera aboard the 40-pound aircraft.
“I wasn’t ready to publicize this,” Executive Assistant Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. She and other department leaders hastily organized a news conference when they realized Local 2 Investigates had captured the entire event on camera.
“We still haven’t even decided how we were going to go forward on this task, so it seemed premature to me to announce this to the media,” Montalvo said.
How could it be premature to announce it when there had already been a story in the media about it? And what’s up with her saying “I wasn’t ready to publicize this”?
Who’s actually in charge at HPD?
KPRC’s story continues with a few more Chief Montalvo highlights:
Montalvo told reporters the unmanned aircraft would be used for “mobility” or traffic issues, evacuations during storms, homeland security, search and rescue, and also “tactical.” She admitted that could include covert police actions and she said she was not ruling out someday using the drones for writing traffic tickets.
[snip]
Houston police contacted KPRC from the test site, claiming the entire airspace was restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Police even threatened action from the FAA if the Local 2 helicopter remained in the area. However, KPRC reported it had already checked with the FAA on numerous occasions and found no flight restrictions around the site, a point conceded by Montalvo.
Montalvo wants to use the drones for writing traffic tickets! And HPD tried to intimidate a local media station as it was covering what is a pretty important story.
What the heck is going on at HPD?
The department has been fudging statistics, including numbers of homicides as we just learned; it has a severe manpower shortage that requires reactionary policing; response times are through the roof; and yet the department’s leadership continues to focus on technological gadgetry.
As Scott Henson notes, Chief Hurtt has a “surveillance fetish.” That sounds about right. Red light cameras, surveillance cameras, and now spy drones. Just remember, Chief Hurtt says if you aren’t doing anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Is this really the kind of policing Houstonians want?
(Old) Forum Comments (14)
