5 ms·

Shoplifters could soon be chased down by drones

25 points by signa11 1y ago

segmondy 1y ago
Good way to get free drones.
Bender 1y ago
How long until drones are permitted to take physical action on violent perps? And how long until they look like [1]? [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEby9OkePpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEby9OkePpg [video][3:33 mins][warning: contains Tom Cruise]
- potato3732842 1y ago
  The police somewhere are probably already using them to spray pepper spray. I bet if you shoot their drone it's "attempted murder of an officer" or whatever just like it is for the dogs.
  - tdeck 1y ago
    I googled "Pepper Spray Drones" and this was the first result, peak USA: https://dronelife.com/2025/04/01/pepper-spray-drones-in-schools-can-technology-stop-tragedy/ https://dronelife.com/2025/04/01/pepper-spray-drones-in-scho...
    - Bender 1y ago
      Nice. That could have mitigated some of the recent roof shooters and could have obtained higher resolution footage of the roof shooters and decoys at UVU in Utah.
tdeck 1y ago
As someone who has never shoplifted in my life, this makes me deeply uncomfortable. If it's acceptable for a business to use drones to tail a (suspected) shoplifter, what stops a business from using them to tail a regular customer to collect marketing data? What if I am curious where someone I work with lives, is it OK to use a drone to follow them home? I would argue that it's obviously not OK but it seems like there is no law against this in the US unless you have a restraining order, perhaps.
- paxys 1y ago
  Read up on the company behind this (Flock Safety). Their entire mission is to set up a surveillence state in the USA.
- chickenpotpie 1y ago
  At least in the short term, I think the economics will prevent stores from using this for marketing data. Operating these drones has to very, very expensive and I don't think knowing about your driving habits for a few miles is worth the cost. The only reason these things could be economical in the short term is because theft costs retail companies an insanely high amount of money. However, this might change if these drones become cheaper to operate and purchase. I would think there's some crime that would prevent people from using these to the extremes. I am almost certain it's illegal to put an air tag on someone to track their whereabouts and I would also think those laws would apply here.
- gdulli 1y ago
  > What stops a business from using them to tail a regular customer to collect marketing data? I wonder if anyone's considered starting a business of leasing space on urban roofs and building facades, installing cameras, and then selling the footage of all the foot traffic. Sounds a lot easier than drones.
  - Onawa 1y ago
    So you mean Flock? Except even better, people pay them to install the cameras.
    - brendoelfrendo 1y ago
      Flock is the company behind the drones in this article, so we've come full circle.
- garciasn 1y ago
  Since the time I was 15 or 16, I have been regularly targeted by loss prevention as a potential threat. To this day, 30y later, it's become a running joke w/my kids about when we'll be 'bothered', stopped, or outright harassed by employees (plain clothed or uniformed) for doing nothing other than shopping in a way that is somehow different than they expect. I have never shoplifted, but yet, here we are. While it's a mild annoyance to be stopped and asked if I need any help by two retail employees alongside a uniformed LPP (I refuse to call them officers) or asked to produce a receipt--even if we're just browsing to kill time and I didn't buy anything, now I may be pursued by a fucking drone because some algorithm or human operator has decided I'm somehow doing something they don't like? I am genuinely terrified.
coin 1y ago
It’s still limited by the local government’s willingness to pursue and prosecute these types of crimes
qwerpy 1y ago
In general I'm a big fan of incorporating drones and cameras into crime fighting techniques. It's safer and cheaper for the general public, law enforcement, and the criminals themselves. For example for retail thieves (the article's use case), or for car thieves and street racers, don't need to have a high speed chase anymore. Follow the car around until a trap can be set or it parks at the criminal's house.
burnt-resistor 1y ago
Obvious problem: Drones typically don't have long-lasting batteries. And, it seems relatively easy to travel out of range longer and/or faster than it can fly or go somewhere flying drones can't follow like into a closed structure or underground area. Seems like a gimmick to sell to corporate customers.
dyauspitr 1y ago
I have shoplifted once in my whole life as a hazing ritual for my fraternity. I’m shocked at how law abiding I am.
hackable_sand 1y ago
Going to start doing all my shopping via drone.
colonial 1y ago
If this means that I no longer have to wait around for five minutes to have a supermarket employee unlock the laundry detergent, then I approve. Yes, there are privacy concerns, but I care more about law and order at this point.

25 points by signa11 1y ago

Good way to get free drones.

How long until drones are permitted to take physical action on violent perps? And how long until they look like [1]? [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEby9OkePpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEby9OkePpg [video][3:33 mins][warning: contains Tom Cruise]

potato3732842 1y ago
The police somewhere are probably already using them to spray pepper spray. I bet if you shoot their drone it's "attempted murder of an officer" or whatever just like it is for the dogs.
- tdeck 1y ago
  I googled "Pepper Spray Drones" and this was the first result, peak USA: https://dronelife.com/2025/04/01/pepper-spray-drones-in-schools-can-technology-stop-tragedy/ https://dronelife.com/2025/04/01/pepper-spray-drones-in-scho...
  - Bender 1y ago
    Nice. That could have mitigated some of the recent roof shooters and could have obtained higher resolution footage of the roof shooters and decoys at UVU in Utah.

tdeck 1y ago

As someone who has never shoplifted in my life, this makes me deeply uncomfortable. If it's acceptable for a business to use drones to tail a (suspected) shoplifter, what stops a business from using them to tail a regular customer to collect marketing data? What if I am curious where someone I work with lives, is it OK to use a drone to follow them home? I would argue that it's obviously not OK but it seems like there is no law against this in the US unless you have a restraining order, perhaps.

paxys 1y ago
Read up on the company behind this (Flock Safety). Their entire mission is to set up a surveillence state in the USA.
chickenpotpie 1y ago
At least in the short term, I think the economics will prevent stores from using this for marketing data. Operating these drones has to very, very expensive and I don't think knowing about your driving habits for a few miles is worth the cost. The only reason these things could be economical in the short term is because theft costs retail companies an insanely high amount of money. However, this might change if these drones become cheaper to operate and purchase. I would think there's some crime that would prevent people from using these to the extremes. I am almost certain it's illegal to put an air tag on someone to track their whereabouts and I would also think those laws would apply here.
gdulli 1y ago
> What stops a business from using them to tail a regular customer to collect marketing data? I wonder if anyone's considered starting a business of leasing space on urban roofs and building facades, installing cameras, and then selling the footage of all the foot traffic. Sounds a lot easier than drones.
- Onawa 1y ago
  So you mean Flock? Except even better, people pay them to install the cameras.
  - brendoelfrendo 1y ago
    Flock is the company behind the drones in this article, so we've come full circle.
garciasn 1y ago
Since the time I was 15 or 16, I have been regularly targeted by loss prevention as a potential threat. To this day, 30y later, it's become a running joke w/my kids about when we'll be 'bothered', stopped, or outright harassed by employees (plain clothed or uniformed) for doing nothing other than shopping in a way that is somehow different than they expect. I have never shoplifted, but yet, here we are. While it's a mild annoyance to be stopped and asked if I need any help by two retail employees alongside a uniformed LPP (I refuse to call them officers) or asked to produce a receipt--even if we're just browsing to kill time and I didn't buy anything, now I may be pursued by a fucking drone because some algorithm or human operator has decided I'm somehow doing something they don't like? I am genuinely terrified.

coin 1y ago

It’s still limited by the local government’s willingness to pursue and prosecute these types of crimes

qwerpy 1y ago

In general I'm a big fan of incorporating drones and cameras into crime fighting techniques. It's safer and cheaper for the general public, law enforcement, and the criminals themselves. For example for retail thieves (the article's use case), or for car thieves and street racers, don't need to have a high speed chase anymore. Follow the car around until a trap can be set or it parks at the criminal's house.

burnt-resistor 1y ago

Obvious problem: Drones typically don't have long-lasting batteries. And, it seems relatively easy to travel out of range longer and/or faster than it can fly or go somewhere flying drones can't follow like into a closed structure or underground area. Seems like a gimmick to sell to corporate customers.

dyauspitr 1y ago

I have shoplifted once in my whole life as a hazing ritual for my fraternity. I’m shocked at how law abiding I am.

hackable_sand 1y ago

Going to start doing all my shopping via drone.

colonial 1y ago

If this means that I no longer have to wait around for five minutes to have a supermarket employee unlock the laundry detergent, then I approve. Yes, there are privacy concerns, but I care more about law and order at this point.