Northside Minneapolis residents are planning to speak out at a city council committee meeting Wednesday against the testing of a proposed "Drones as First Responders" program over their neighborhood.
The program would allow the Minneapolis Police Department to launch a drone immediately after a 911 call to survey the scene before first responders arrive.
Activist Marvina Haynes says this isn't the solution for a city that is still getting back on its feet after traumatizing events like Operation Metro Surge, and the murder of George Floyd.
"It doesn't build trust for the community or accountability for the police department," she says.
Haynes says a petition with hundreds of signatures speaks for itself.
"The community doesn't want those drones here. Come up with something else," Haynes said.
The Drones as First Responders program is already being used in many cities nationwide. Proponents saying it improves efficiency, increases safety, and allows for faster response times.
But Haynes says it's an issue of trust and privacy.
"If you look at the data that has already been produced around other countries that has been using the drones, they all said the same thing. But when they got them, they all use them for different reasons. And so we can't just trust that," she adds.
The Minneapolis City Council’s Committee for Public Health, Safety and Equity will hold a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday where the issue will be discussed with the public
Some community members are planning to speak out at a city council committee meeting Wednesday
Some community members are planning to speak out at a city council committee meeting Wednesday
