American

Surveillance State

State’s border security planes fly over San Antonio neighborhoods

Two high-altitude surveillance planes the state bought for more than $15 million to help secure the Mexican border are regularly circling over San Antonio, according to records and interviews, but details about exactly what they’re doing are scarce. 

The Swiss-built Pilatus aircraft are each equipped with more than $1 million in high-definition cameras, capable of capturing images night and day, clear enough that they can show the color of someone’s shirt from two miles overhead. Pilots are guided by powerful mapping software that can superimpose addresses and parcel data over the live video, which can be streamed in real-time by Department of Public Safety officials on the ground. 

 

“There is no expectation of privacy when the individual is in plain view of others in a public place,” Vinger said. “Also, the quality of the image-capturing equipment is not typically sufficient enough to identify a person’s face.”

DYI QUICK COMMENT highlighted statement is total BS the fly in the ointment the individual in question would need to look upwards due to line of sight for the high resolution cameras.

DYI