Jul 9, 2020·3 min read

On June 1st, thousands marched through the streets of downtown Ottawa to peacefully protest and demand systematic change in various institutions, one of which being the police force. In light of the violent death of George Floyd and hundreds of other wrongfully killed black lives, it was apparent that it is time to stand up and demand change. Not only in the capital city of Canada did people stand up against police brutality and racism, but worldwide there has been an surge of vocality on the importance of accountability and the need for reform within the police force.

“OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER” — MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

The organization behind this movement is The Black Lives Matter Movement, which seeks to abolish white supremacy, bring justice to black communities, and create a world where black individuals can focus on expanding on their innovating endeavours, rather than having fear on a daily basis that they will be targeted for the colour of their skin. To learn more about the Black Lives Matter organization, and the ways in which you can contribute, visit their website here.

With the increasing tension surrounding the police force and their systematic targeting of black lives, we need to direct our attention to an accountability tool that needs to be used; drones. This piece of technology plays an integral part for providing aerial images and video, providing unbiased and unmanipulated evidence capturing police and civilian interactions, giving citizens power to hold police accountable for their actions, especially when they use deadly force.

The photos featured in the article are taken by Hover.direct’s drones, a Drone Service Provider in Canada and demonstrate the impact of this protest. The CEO, Cameron Rowe, said this about the impact of drones on policing: “Drones have an amazing capability to provide officers with additional information prior to approaching a scene and give them confidence to respond adequately. It helps with training, and importantly accountability. Unlike the limited capabilities of Body cams, which are not widely used in Canada drones are harder to cover or manipulate, and with encrypted video streaming it helps to provide the best possible angle that will lead to better trained, more confident, and more accountable Police Officers.”

In today’s era of “fake news”, transparency is a vital component in the news and its reporting. Recent events have proven that additional transparency is needed within the police force and the criminal justice system. Drones, with some of the highest quality imagery and streaming capabilities, can address these issues. Citizens are certainly ready for additional accountability provided by drones… But is the police force?

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