Yeah.  Drones.  You know, those little things that can land you in jail under Virginia Code 18.2-121.3?

Well the Police can now use them.

Police in Arlington are going to start using them now.  But they're called "Unmanned Aircraft Systems," or the UAS Program when Arlington Police use them.

In a quietly published NOTICE, Arlington County announced this new program.   They claim it's "designed to enhance the County's ability to respond to emergency incidents."   They also claim that drones won't be used to:

• Conduct random surveillance activities 
• Target a person based solely on individual characteristics, such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender, religion, or disability 
• Harass, intimidate, or discriminate against any individual or group 
• Conduct personal business or any other unauthorized use 
• Support any facial or license plate recognition technology 
• Carry or deploy any types of weapons 
• Monitor traffic for the purpose of issuing traffic citations 
• Intercept and collect WiFi data

Um.  We want to believe them. We really do.  But what exactly is an "emergency incident?"  Speeding?  A general increase in crime? A hunch?

One wonders if police might use the technology to spy on a lover.  Nah.  That could NEVER HAPPEN.