Nebraska Lawmaker Targets Police Drone Use

Wants to assure citizen privacy

At first blush, the proposal seems driven by paranoia.

But Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus worries that police will start using drones—small, pilotless airplanes or helicopters employed by the United States to track enemies and attack terrorists and military targets—to spy on people.

"If there's going to be a policy decision from the legislative level on the use of drones for the surveillance of civilian populations, then now's the time to do it—before communities begin investing in these devices," he said.

Schumacher has introduced the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act (LB412) that says "a law enforcement agency shall not use a drone to gather evidence or other information" and that "… evidence obtained or collected in violation of the … act is not admissible as evidence in a criminal prosecution in any court of law in this state."