Minnesota State Patrol Uses Cirrus Plane To Catch Drunk Drivers
Surveillance has been on a lot of people's minds lately, as the controversy over Flock cameras increases across the country. These AI-powered cameras automatically read license plates and record vehicle data for law enforcement and public safety purposes.
Growing Concern Over Surveillance
I'm all about using them for public safety, like finding missing kids and people, or even solving violent crimes. What I'm not a fan of is when this kind of surveillance is used for non-violent crimes. Like when they used Flock cameras to catch someone buying THC in Michigan and then driving back to Wisconsin.
Minnesota State Patrol Helicopters + Airplanes
The Minnesota State Patrol recently shared a post about how their aircraft are catching speeders. This isn't anything new, but a lot of people think it is. The aircrew tracks cars on highways from thousands of feet in the air. Drivers are usually completely unaware they are being tracked. The state patrol works with a team in a designated zone to look for speeders. According to the MN State Patrol website, they paint a white line at quarter-mile markers. The pilots track the plane with a stopwatch through the zones to calculate the speed.
Catching Reckless and Drunk Driving With Cirrus Airplane
The state patrol uses helicopters, Cessna 182 planes, and Cirrus 22 models. The SR22 models are equipped with surveillance cameras and technology.
The Minnesota State Patrol purchased an SR22 with Cirrus Perception. This technology allows operators to customize the aircraft to include sensors and infrared capabilities, and multi-spectral imaging.
Read More: Flock Cameras Being Used To Track Marijuana Buyers
The state patrol often records videos of the erratic or dangerous driving to be used as evidence. Once they identify the vehicle, they radio in a trooper on the ground to make the traffic stop.
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Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli