LANCASTER – The Law Enforcement Aerial Platform System (LEAPS) is up and running in the skies over Lancaster, city officials announced Thursday. This means the city is now under constant surveillance by the sheriff’s department, who has a bird’s eye view of activities happening anywhere in the city.
“As of tomorrow (Aug. 24), every day of the week we’ll be capturing video,” said Lancaster Station Captain Bob Jonsen.
“This program, for a miniscule amount of money, is going to save a lot of lives,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.
Jonsen and Parris joined city officials at a press conference Thursday to unveil the new airborne crime fighting-tool and provide details on how it will function.
For at least 10 hours every day, the piloted Cessna 172, fitted with high-tech optical equipment, will surveil the entire city and record imagery at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above ground level.
“It has a central track on the outside of the city, and it continually goes around that track,” said Jonsen.
Only assigned LASD personnel will be privy to the information and video transmitted from the aircraft, which will be encrypted and fed directly to the sheriff’s station.
“The operators are going to be audited,” said Parris. “There isn’t going to be anybody looking in their girlfriend’s backyard, because there’s a record of it.”
When not responding to an incident, the system will be in surveillance mode, with the designated officer directing the pilot via an Ipad in the cockpit.
If a call comes in about a crime in progress, the operating officer will enter the location into the system. And within seconds, the officer will be able to zoom in and record images from the location while relaying the information to responding deputies, Jonsen said.
The system can also lock in and follow a criminal target from up to three miles away.
“You can see what they’re wearing, what color their shoes are, whether they’re carrying an object,” Jonsen said. “We can get this information to responding units and dramatically increase our effectiveness.”
LEAPS is also effective at night because of its infrared capabilities, Jonsen said.
The system allows the sheriff’s department to access up to two years of video data. So if a crime goes unreported, then is later discovered, authorities will be able to access case-relevant activity footage based on date and geographic location.
“We’ll be able to attach these videos to these cases, so in front of a jury, you’re going to have some pretty substantial evidence…” Jonsen said. “It’s going to make public defenders’ jobs a little more difficult.”
Jonsen said the system will not zoom in and record private property without good reason.
“I don’t foresee a reason to be on private property unless we’re investigating a crime,” he said. “We’re not going to be just randomly recording someone’s back yard.”
In acknowledging the privacy concerns of some residents, Parris said critics needed to educate themselves on the new system.
“Most of what people are afraid of doesn’t exist in this particular system…” Parris said. “I would wish that people would educate themselves before they decide whether it’s good or bad, because the criticism so far is from people who have no idea what the capacity of the system is.”
LEAPS was created by Aero View LLC and engineered and developed by Spiral Technology Inc. The city paid $1.3 million to Aero View to acquire the aircraft, avionics, and other equipment required to develop and deploy LEAPS. The aircraft is fueled, maintained and hangared at William J. Fox Field Airfield in Lancaster. The first 12 months of service and operations are at no cost to the city as part of the management agreement between Aero View and Lancaster. Read more on the agreement here.
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arrrggg says
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”-Ben Franklin
nuff said
Rob says
I would much prefer these resources be utilized on the ground and aircraft be used only in response to a crime in process. What a waste to fly an aircraft for 10 hours a day for the sake of taking video to store with the hopes of recording a crime to view later. We would rather have more patrol cars and sheriffs please Rex!
Michelle Egberts says
Here is our “Eye In The Sky” aircraft report http://report.myairplane.com/index.php
Michelle Egberts says
http://www.aeroviewllc.com/pdf/leapsbrochure.pdf
Michelle Egberts says
http://www.aeroviewllc.com/ PILOTS WANTED… PLEASE APPLY… WE MUST HAVE AN EYE IN THE SKY!!!
Rob says
I would much prefer these resources be utilized on the ground and aircraft be used only in response to a crime in process. What a waste to fly an aircraft for 10 hours a day for the sake of taking video to store with the hopes of recording a crime to view later. We would rather have more squad cars and sheriffs please Rex!
William says
A guy could be inside a liquor store holding it up or burglarizing a house and assaulting the occupants and the ‘plane’ wouldn’t know a thing until he or they were gone and the police notified.
Maybe a gang war in broad daylight might be caught in real time but a lot of serious crimes wouldn’t be noticed till after the fact unless the people monitoring the camera were psychic.
... says
My sentiments exactly…. Why are people so quick to give up their privacy and bring in a program with such potential for abuse? “Oh noes…. We have boogey men in our midst, help us big brother!”
Tawny says
its not a matter of giving up privacy its about being safe from crime…its about having to live in the LA area because of work and not being able to aford the expensive places so we live in the AV but we dont want to see it turn into a total crime dump like San Bernardino did!
Stinger says
I appreciate your wanting to have a safe place to live, Tawny, but the issue really IS about giving up privacy rights guaranteed in the Constitution. The debate at hand is whether the results from this violation of those rights is worth such. Obviously, I am of the opinion that it is not worth the loss of our precious freedoms as the benefits are minimal at best while the opportunities for misuse of this platform are far greater than advertised.
Michelle Egberts says
@Stinger… Aerial survaillance does not violate the “sanctity of the home” and the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
This has been upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court. It seems that we can only expect to be free of official survaillance only behind the walls of our home.
It is of obvious concern to Peter Bibring, senior staff attorney with the Americal Civil Liberties Unions, southern California chapter as well. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/25/local/la-me-0825-lancaster-aircraft-20120825
CaptainObvious says
Wow, I’m surprised it took the “real” Stinker so long to comment on this! I do recall you’ve posted your displeasure with this before, but refresh my memory. How exactly is your privacy being violated by this program Stinker? Even the convicted criminal Egberts can see it’s been upheld in court.
... says
William – The difference is, once they set off their alarm, or call the police.. the camera can be immediately turned to the property, and possibly see the suspects leaving, long before patrol cars even show up. That’s the benefit people don’t grasp yet.
William says
We’ll have to see how it works out after a year or so.
sacryinshame says
Isn’t the whole idea to catch criminals when people call in and report a crime that just happened? The camera is quick but not physic. So…if I call something in and the desk person decides it’s worth taking a look at instead of sending an officer or before they dispatch an officer, they will be able to see the perp and follow him/her. Right?
William says
I’m guessing the perp waits patiently on the front steps till the call has been made before fleeing.
ryenisha jackson says
well at least it will catch the teen age moms the ones that cant keep the guy throwing away there baby. GOOD JOB COMPTON NORTH KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.. no matter what lancaster will still be the welfare drug addict mentally disturbed, cant even sleep in your own house dump that it is.
tanya says
what next. .. ….come on already
Jill says
Probably the unemployed fat boy, trying to make more people look like bigots. Him and mom. Do any ILLEGAL damage to others sites lately? How does it feel to be a uncaught criminal?
Jack says
Kinda sad that they make sooooooooooooooo many mistakes on their fake news site’s FB page. As in this one;
“The AV News shared a link.
3 hours ago
Detectives are investigating the Friday night shooting death of a man in Lancaster.”
Isn’t FRIDAY NIGHT TONIGHT?!!?
Jill says
Guess we know why your only chance of succeeding is by destroying other sites. What’s that say about you?
sacryinshame says
No Jack, Friday night was last night and Sunday it will have been 2 nights ago. Not everyone was behind their computer on friday night.
abdul majeed askia says
Why do sixty percent inmates return to prison in less than one year after parole ? Most of the things that they have been prohibted to
doing and/or being involved in is actually legal. That is they are
told not to consume alcohol,nine out of ten thier wives,relatives,
friends and/or dates are consuming alcohol. They are told not
associate with ex-felons,people on parole, gang members and/or
ex-gang members. Nine out of ten the segment of society or the area
they parole to(due to economics)are filled with the above types.
They are told not to smoke marijuana are they will be violated for
a dirty test. Of course one can over-come all of these things but
the stage is set,the obstacles are blatantly in one’s face because
so many are doing what is considered the norm in the
general society! In prison or jail there is no smoking,no alcohol,
no not clubs,and late night activities. Meaning once an individual
parole he or she has to have will power,discipline,mental fortitude
and courage and the spirit of sacrifice to win through. It is
more to it than having a good job or even housing because all
things that your new found freedom has brought you is illegal
for you to par-take in !One has to be disciplined and taught people
skills,coping skills,how to relate to people and how to deal
with set backs,disappointments and un-expected events! This is very
seldom discussed. Similar to a military person making atransition
from a war zone returning to civilian life! In fact many suffer from
post tramatic stress. We need to address the mental,intellectual
and spiritual aspects of one’s transition into the free society.
Most non profit groups only scratch the surface. Housing,employment,
transportation and job training are all important but the mental
adjustment I believe is just as important because having a stable
mind enables one to strive,survive,brave the storm and push ahead
when the going gets rough. Most institutions don’t prepare inmates
or even youth in the free society on that level!That is why I am
so adament a of adjustmentbout addressing the psychological aspect.
It is more to it than material access. That is definitely important
but to succeed against all odds is the development of the mind!
My experience equips me to explain in an effective way certain tools
parolees need to adjust in society. Again,it amazes me the apposition
I receive to get that point across. The layman will strat aruging with
with and make every effort to prevent me for sharing what I know
to be factual! I have been through a many hurrdles and yet I persist
because I am equipped psychologically and emotionally to press on.
Thus, I have invited theayors,civic leaders and others to here me
out. Again,it is acertain methology in addressing these facts.
abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker
realitycheck says
Uhhh….Abdul, WTF does your endless ranting have to do with the “eye in the sky?”
abdul majeed askia says
Lets make it plain. The more crime,the more prisons. The
more prisoners the greater the recidivism. The more
recidivism the more cops, the more cops the tighter
control,the tighter the control the less freedom for us
all in the name of safety !It becomes a police state by
default!Negilgence on the part of the citizens, a failure
to get involved in your communities and looking for
law enforcement to see all and do all! Looking for
law enforcement to be Mr.fix it!It reminds me of the
movie by Will Smith “The Enemy Of the State!” As stated
in the movie “in a matter of seconds you can become
the enemy of the state!” I have watched in my life time
how we depend more on law enforcement and less on
community activism.Of course 911 services its purpose
but we are failing to address life styles,eonomic
conditions,poverty and a whole host of issues that
could better society and make it more safer as opposed
to the butt of gun or camera in your bed room a fly
on the wall.abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker
HoHum says
….more liberal/socialist excuses for bad behavior from Abdul!
There are 3 reasons why crime is down:
1.) More cops on the street
2.) More prisons being built
3.) Easier/better access to abortion
really says
Abdul you have a point.So since parolees are faced with all these tough choices and government is so unequipped to do the things you speak of, we should just do away with parole and have the criminals serve the full term of their sentence. I mean its not like parole is a right, parole is an agreement between the criminal and the law which states if you abide by our rules we will allow to serve out the rest of your sentence outside of a prison.
abdul majeed askia says
Believe it or not the less informed about social adjustment the more apt they are to fail. We people
are packed in groups and run in groups why not
address them with the challenges at hand before parole!
I was so affected at this evidently it frienghten
someone to the degree of being prevent from addressing
the inmate. United Community Action Net work inwhich
I was intricately apart of was very effective in
reaching the inmates! It stunned the staff,they felt
that too many were listening to me. Meaning we don’t
want hem listening to someone who has been in their
shoes! So they take a pussy foot out for apay check
and a snap shot in the valley press to give the
apperance the service is being provided when in reality
the public is being shafted!!!What is the fear off
turning the prison in to a positive by making them
into learning facilities as opposed to ware houses!
Why Not ? We claim we want to stop crime.
abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker/palmdale,ca.
abdul majeed askia says
Sir,with parole,the parole officer would lose his job.
Fore the record I taught in challenger memorial facility
for seven years under united community action net work.
There were many times when they staff were bewildered
and depressed wondering if challenger would be closed down. They were afraid the youth would be sent to other
camps and facilities and thereby challenger youth facility
would be closed down. So whats the problems ? If the facility had been closed down many staff would have to be relocated,laid off and some fired ! This scared the heck
out them becaused they feared they would lose their
newly found benefits,housing,cars,insurance,presitge and
the lack.Bottom line they needed those kids to keep
coming!!!Jails,camps and prisons are indeed a big business,now its all about private prisons for profit!
Imagine closing down a five thousand bed facility ? Think
of the financial loss. Imagine the people,the guards,
and all the staff and workers it takes to run a prison.
They all would be laid off because it was not enough
prisones to maintain the facility. Sort’ve live in our
society when a business down sizes and lays off people
because they are no longer needed due to advancement in
technology and/or due to the economy.Back in the day I was
naieve and excited about changing the world,then I
believed that everybody in power wanted solutions and
wanted curtail or stop crime, and to my shock and dismay
I discovered crime pays!!! It is an industry!!! Crime or
prisoners are like cattle but only in this case you get
thrityfive thousand a head each year! Like apreacher
with anaudience of five thousand instructing the user
to keep those baskets moving up and down those ailes
because it is alot of money out their!I repeat,building
prisons is an industry.Abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national
public speaker…Now you see the difference between me
and a hand picked preacher ? I believe we can turn crime
around through sound principles and I know a lot of
people and groups with answers.abdulaskia@yahoo.com
Ace says
THIS just In…
Blood gang members have been reportedly buying up all the large size Golf Umbrellas in town to hide their dope deals and shootings from the Pie In The Sky Spy Plane.
The Lancaster City Council is considereding banning all Golf Umbrellas day and night…
(Developing..)
***
abdul majeed askia says
I know from personal experience the majority of those that are incarcerated
are receptive to proper counseling. In fact at the time that I under the
program of united action net work was addressing the prison population
there was overwhelming response from the inmates! My passion was to
encourage them to rise above negativity and gain self mastery!To empower
the inmates with the knowledge of self development,self awareness and to
prepare psychologically,spiritually and emotiionally to meet the challenges
of life! I would empower them with down to earth and realistic teachings
to weather the stroms of life!!! However,even though the majority of the staff and inmates were verry impressed the efforts were obstructed!!! The
million dollar question is why ? In our morden times everything is on
video. That is, similar to the eye in the sky in prison. I was abit
puzzled that with such insight why didn’t them educate the inmates on the
fact that crime was alost cuase because they hear everything you are saying in those cells. They were aware of the the whatever before it was
committed. Why would this be startling to me ? Because int is interesting
to know that it was like being in a circus,taming and training wild
animals. Yes,the people are in cages,cubicles and doors under the spot
light being trained and conditioned like palov’s dogs!Conditioned reflexs!
The truth shall set you free!!! We are wise enough to know what congestion,
frustration,anxiety,misery,fear,anger and rage produces. We are wise
enough to know what lack of education and information causes,cause and effect!In otherwords under united community action net work we were actually teaching the inmates to wake up and gain control of their lives
because in every sense of the word they were fighting a loosing battle
in crime and corruption, along with the fact that they were secimens like
in a test tube ! United community action net work under the founder
Billy Pricer opened the doors to the prisons to educated the inmates but
for whatever strange reason in spite of the fact that I had received
outstanding community awards for outstanding service was prevented from
futher entering ! Do math!!!I had received plaques from Sherman Block
and even invited to speak from palmdale to the white house. In otherwords
to we just want to arrest people or do wee want to educate/reform and
return people to society to be law abiding citizens! Inmates will
listen with the proper teacher,we don’t have to be overwhelmed with the
cost of an expanding prison system. Crime can be turned around. I have
been on both sides of the fense and it has equipped me in an exceptional
way to address the problems at hand/Inmates/convicts will listen!!! That
is abig clain isn’t it ? Why would I make such a claim ? Number one
we are losing more and more of our freedoms each time a crime is committed.
Everry crime moves us closer and closer as apublic to have no privacy
and basic freedoms. Secondly millions and even billions are being spent
to build prisons when in reality those prisons can be turned into
universities! My question to the public is why in the face of all these
major challenges am I being ignored while making such big claims? Yes,
I have been to prison/jail. The prison was decades ago!Years and years
ago !That ia why the self righteous want to hold your past against you
to stop you from doing any good and stay on the track of prison!!!
abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker
Jack says
you ask why you are being ignored? because you blather on and on about the same liberal garbage over and over again. Rehabilitation might have worked for you (so far) but you are in a very tiny minority (probably less than 5%) and I think the law abiding public is just so sick of hearing your broken record liberalism. your nonsense about turning prisons into universities is just that nonsense! if someone wanted to go to a university instead of prison that is a CHOICE they should have made a long time before that. you dont get to a university by acting like a thug and commiting crime!
abdul majeed askia says
the first thing comes out of your motuh is trash. This will be the one and only time I will respond to you.I guess Jesus
was aliberal ? Let him has not sinned cast the first stone.
I guess thats you Jack.
Ace says
More false Bible talk by someone who has never read it.
Geez. Abdul… You haven’t a clue about the scriptures. You learn that baloney in the joint oh what?
***
abdul majeed askia says
Either turn the prison into educational facilities i.e.educate
the prisoner concerning the facts of life,provide counseling
and/or suffer the fate of building more and more prison and
california becoming a poplice state. Once we become a police
state all the basic liberties that we took for granted will
be a thing of the past. This get tough on crime by building
more prisons and targeting our youth as anti social and the enemies of society is absurd. Again,everything is under surveilence/especially in prison, so they really do know what they are thinking; therefore,don’t you find it rather odd
the parties concerned won’t re-orientate these people ? One cannot even walk down the street without being on some type
of monitor so why is that we can’t seem to figure out whats going on ? Slavery is on the rise in the form of incarceration,
probation,parole,social stigma,economic and political out-caste !
Now they have created some type of machine that can detect if
you are acting supicious or abnormal! Only the in crownd will
be able to operate that technology!!! We are losing our humanity
and freedoms out of fear and the desire to become subjugated
in favor of remaining couped up and monitored. I don’t care to
just chi chat ! Once this message hit it will go cross country
and hopefully all the way to the white house because we need an
indepth dialogue about crime prevention and its solutions.
abdulaskia@yahoo.com/Abdul Majeed Askia/National public speaker
Utz says
Abdul, you have to realize some people do not ever want to change their life for the better, there are sociopaths, there are people who take pleasure in the rape, torture, and hurting of others. Most of them are so far gone that cannot be “re educated.”
The biggest mistake people made was allowing the federal government to infringe on the 2nd amendment. A government needs to be in fear of it’s people in order to remain just, allowing them to control weapons is the easiest and fastest way to control the population and stop it from fighting back.
Hitler, Stalin, and many other dictators took weapons first, than they finished everything else off when people couldn’t fight back.
abdul majeed askia says
I submit to you that crimes and or criminals are
being manufactured ! It is no accident. Cause and
effect. Gun shops have sold out numerous times
in the antelope valley alone and it is the good
folks who got’um !The law abiding people posses
all the aminition and the high tec weapons Only
people without criminal records can purchase
weapons and itf they haven’t figured out yet all
the major shootings were by up-standing citizens
suposedly ! It too late for gun control,they have already sold over four hundred million guns.
Hype is created to sale more and more weapons
and thereby indirectly gain more and more control
over the masses by limiting freedom and the ability to protest/surveilence.abdulaskia@yahoo.com
abdul majeed askia says
I beg to defer. We tame wild lions, elephants,whales and some of the most vicious animals. In fact man has tamed the animal
kingdom !We have speacialist in every field
in the mental,spiritual and psycohlogical real.
There is any field left out. Man can tell you how fast light and sound travels,how much the earth
weeighs,how much water is on it and how many
human beings occupy space! With that said, we
produce sociopaths,lunatics,and weirdo’s of every type. Yes, prison serves as atest labarotory.
If one can make elephants stand on their hind legs
and lions jump through rings of fier using peanuts, sugar cubes and junks of beast one can
certainly turn around a person in cage after
decades of incarceration,if that is the desire to do so! Ignorance is perpetuated, it is be designed. The more educated people are the more competive they become. Four hundred million people
actually educated the mind manipulation,monoply of wealth and poweer would stop. Keeo those prisoners dumb so they can keep on coming back. The last thing we want is an ex-con thinking he or
she can rise above the heap. I am saying to you
what is the use of all thses experts in everry field that can’t solve any problems. We need not only identify the problem but all so present
solutions. The crazy people that you see were
either born crazy or driven crazy and in either
case we should know the difference and make a defference.abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker/palmdale,Ca.
abdul majeed askia says
I beg to defer. We tame wild lions, elephants,whales and some of the most vicious animals. In fact man has tamed the animal
kingdom !We have speacialist in every field
in the mental,spiritual and psycohlogical real.
There is any field left out. Man can tell you how fast light and sound travels,how much the earth
weeighs,how much water is on it and how many
human beings occupy space! With that said, we
produce sociopaths,lunatics,and weirdo’s of every type. Yes, prison serves as atest labarotory.
If one can make elephants stand on their hind legs
and lions jump through rings of fier using peanuts, sugar cubes and junks of beast one can
certainly turn around a person in cage after
decades of incarceration,if that is the desire to do so! Ignorance is perpetuated, it is be designed. The more educated people are the more competive they become. Four hundred million people
actually educated the mind manipulation,monoply of wealth and poweer would stop. Keeo those prisoners dumb so they can keep on coming back. The last thing we want is an ex-con thinking he or
she can rise above the heap. I am saying to you
what is the use of all thses experts in every field that can’t solve any problems. We need not only identify the problem but all so present
solutions. The crazy people that you see were
either born crazy or driven crazy and in either
case we should know the difference and make a defference.abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public speaker/palmdale,Ca.
Adam Chant says
Wait did you just argue with yourself? I’m so confused and normally I just glance by these rambling, but OMG! are you serious? Wait let me read this again.. Yes you said that..
Are you implying that we have broken the hereditary actions of wild animals with specialists? And that if we put enough effort into it that we can do the same with criminals?
How does that explain Roy’s Face, Tippi’s scars, and that lady wit no face and dead husband with no genitals? Those are “tamed” animals..
See factually wild animals pacify our desires based on their own and as long as they are provided with food and a place to sleep they are tolerable. What they are taught is not something unnatural or foreign to them, but acts that are generally within the reasoning of what they would do naturally. Wales breach, lions play and elephants even sit.
Left to their own devices they would play with a child or adult to death, and the vast majority of criminals would also do what they do best.. commit crimes.
You are suggesting that we reward criminals with the best in food, lodging, health care, education, etc. to reform them, but I will argue that it’s for the most PART too LATE. We already provide enough resources for those who really desire to be a better person and we see them succeed every day by representing themselves or graduating and never going back to a life of crime.
If you make it easier for someone with a criminal past and criminal mind to obtain the resources necessary to succeed they will only get better at doing what they know committing crimes.
So we train the Lions how to jump, then on command, then through fire and then you have a man eating beast that can jump through hoops to eat people..
I think that in both cases when society is faced with these kinds of threats we treat them the same, either kill or put them behind bars.
abdul majeed askia says
Don’t some people train pit bulls to rip people apart ? Are you saying
that “sharks”left to themselves we
be off to play ? Sharks would not
normally chew you up ? What world
are you living in ? Are you saying we have not tamed the ferocious lion
and even rattle snakes not to pounce
on people ? Can’t we go to the zoo
and see some of the most powerful
creatures docile,-in cages for
monkeys to baboons ! Scientist have
experimented on overcrowding and what it causes when various animals
are bunched together(fighting,killing and eating one another);yet we squeeze twenty inmates in space big enough to hold only ten and we pretend that we can’t possible understand why they are fighting one another!!! Then we
actually punish them for an enviornment that was actually created/designed by the overseers !
Are you telling us that all this science,psycohloghy,psychiatry and
the like is usless ? I am saying with the knowledge of human relations, human behaviour, scriptural insight, and the insight of numerrous seers and visionaries we should be able to do betterr than what we have been doing as human being.Keep in mind there are nearly four hundred million americans! We can’t build un-limted prisons!abdulaskia@yahoo.com
Jack says
Damn, there goes Jack again. I’ll have ta change my handle.
Palmdale_Steve says
I like my answer to the criminal element better:
“Shoot first, ask questions later” when it comes to the criminal element.
D. Fife says
YES, YES, YES, YES. I always like simple solutions.
abdul majeed askia says
This shoot first ask questions first only applies to the low
level criminal,I take it ? What about the Mardoffs ? What about
those who wear three piece suits or are you only refering
to those who wear red shirts and red shoe strings ? Thats why
we are in gthe mess we are in because we think we can shoot our
way out of everything! You can’t kill immorality,decadence and
debachery with a bullet.In fact oftentimes one does really notice how sick one sounds with the explaination of shooting
our way out of every situation. Even the so called judgment day
people have armed themseklves with carnal weapons to shoot
their way through judgment i.e. to enter into the hereafter.Weapons are limited. “The duty iof the civilized is
to teach civilization to the un-civilized ” . If you are
civilized than act like it and start teaching.abdulaskia@yahoo.com
Palmdale_Steve says
In honor of Apocalypse Now, every time the Po Po swing into action, the tune
Walkürenritt or Ritt der Walküren will be played over the Spy in the Sky’s speaker system.
Michelle Egberts says
@Palmdale_Steve… LMAO, english translation for those who don’t know German, “Valkyries or Ride of the Valkyries”.
David Cox says
Steve – for your (and our readers’) listening pleasure, here’s a YouTube video of the tune you mention:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZp7u_Krp8
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. . . might as well ensure we all know what you speak of, eh? (wink)
Ace says
THIS Just IN..!
New Pie-N-The-Sky-Spy Plane to TOW Banners..!
Banner 1) The R. Rex Parris Law Firm
Banner 2) Just SAY No to the BLOODS
***
AV Town Crier says
LOL. Very funny, Ace.
tanya says
I know right, .
arrrggg says
Banner 2)(continued)AND the Vagos
[Removed] says
i support Rex on this one. Way to go!
Michelle Egberts says
@ Stinger… I concur with you and support our Mayor/City Officials in in their continued commitment to combat crime. However, can the cost to the city be reduced by investigating the possibilities of applying for federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, specifically the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) that would reduce the out-of-pocket cost to our general city budget?
Stinger says
Sorry, Michelle, that was NOT me. Apparently, sombody is so certain of my ‘influence’ that they have chosen to make posts under my name to support their own agenda.
Michelle Egberts says
@Stinger… sorry to hear that, but I like YOUR “posts”. It’s unfortunate that individuals have to mask their opinion under false identity. However, it’s a good question.
Furthermore, I have read all the media coverage and “posts” on this site regarding the “Eye-In-The-Sky” and people screaming “violation of privacy”. FYI, individuals in the United State have few legal privacy protections from aeriel surveillance, including drones.
In Katz v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declared individuals have “no expectation of privacy” in public places. In Florida v. Riley, the United States Supreme Court held that individuals on their own, private property do not have right to privacy from police observation from public airspace.
[Removed] says
Michelle, I do approve of the use of the Eye-In-The-Sky. I’m for anything that will keep us safe. I think Rex is looking out for us hard working citizens. So I do support this.
Stinger says
Again, we have an illegitimate attempt to use my name by a Parrisite troll. I will speak with the site owners to have this person blocked.
AV Town Crier says
On the surface this is just a cheaper way to go, since the LASD doesn’t fly their airship over the AV 10 hours a month.
In that regard, I see no difference. Crime is out of control.
My only concern is government abuse. It never fails. As far as Capt Jonson, I feel he is honorable and will try and prevent. But he can’t be everywhere at once. It probably won’t happen on his watch. But once he leaves, all bets are off.
TheTruth says
AVTC- by “when he leaves (Jonsen) all bets are off” what do you memean? You do know that the pilot is not monitoring this camera system, that its a deputy, right? That being said, is it your position that although these deputies are trustworthy enough for you to call when your child turns up missing, your wife is raped, your house is being invaded by the boogie man, etc., but they can’t be trusted not to look in someones backyard without a good reason? Yes, the cops occasionally screw up, but we usually trust them on more serious stuff. What say you AVTC?
TheTruth says
** what do you mean?**
AV Town Crier says
TheTruth
just a warning. 99% of the deputies are trustworthy.
I’m just worried about abuse. Look how the FBI has abused their position (though constitutionally, I’m not so sure they’re even legal.) We’ve seen countless abuses by LAPD and other law enforcement agencies.
I just think that prevention is the best way to go. While things may appear OK now, bu what, if over the years, things get lackadaisical? I support law enforcement, but you need to draw a line in the sand.
“When you sacrifice liberty for security, you end up with neither.”
I believe it was either Franklin or Jefferson that warned us of that.
TheTruth all I’m saying is that there must be tough safe guards in place and must remain in place forever. That’s all I’m saying. I have absolutely nothing but respect for law enforcement. I see them on the job daily as a reporter and the AV has the best law enforcement in the country.
tanya says
I totally agree with you on that Prevention is whats needed in all aspects. The line should be there to start, otherwise its like you give an inch or they get away with taking that inch, eventually . . .well you know. As far as law enforcement we certainly do have alot of them, maybe the most.
CaptainObvious says
By the same token, it’s nothing different than what a helicopter has always been able to see before. Don’t be doing crimes in your backyard and you have nothing to worry about!
Javier Gomez says
A single engine Cessna flying around for ten hours a day.
What could go wrong?
Kurt says
Javier, the Cessna 172 is one of the safest airplanes from any manufacturer in the history of aviation. The only reason you would think the plane is anything less is that it is also one of the most common planes in flight training. So Pilot experience is the real factor at play.
In the hands of a skilled pilot, its as good or better than pretty much any plane.
Javier Gomez says
Thank you for telling me, small single engine planes just seem dangerous to me.
Kurt says
A lot of people are nervous about small planes. But most small plane crashes are due to pilots flying beyond their ability, or pilots mismanaging fuel. Not due to the plane itself (Much like car crashes and airline crashes, the x factor is pretty much always the human, not the machine).
The 172 has been mostly unchanged for 40 years, because its a solid design.
Ace says
The NEXT Step..?
Paint LARGE “S-8..” on the roofs of those _________’s!
Then arm it with those Hell Fire Missiles.
Maybe blow up some Homeless veterans too?
Rex was excerizing his vanity of KFI yesterday, es-plaining how much less this costs than a helicopter. Plans for TWO MORE Spy Pie-In-The-Sky planes to boot.
Watch out you darned Bloods..! And those scary Mongos too.
Can his Goon wear a parachute and drop silently from above on code violators?
Stay tuned everyone..!
Gee… Rex is so smart everyone.
Isn’t he?
***
Matt K. says
I’m glad that they are going forward with this and putting it up! I have supported it since it was conceptualized. I’m just hoping that it pays in dividends what it will cost and that we can get a handle on crime in this town.
Obviously, the County of Los Angeles has hung us out to dry on the Section 8 issue and is now complacent on Section 8 being used by criminals, so we have to use the tools that are still available and this is one of them. Time will tell if it’s worth it or not.
Dana says
I believe the use of Section 8 is for low income families and the abuse came in with the Sheriffs department. This has nothing to do with the article about the eye in the sky. Hopefully it will be used correctly now that it is out. To make everyone more comfortable I believe the monitoring should be done by outside sources. It is as though we all live in a big bubble.
FUNNY says
So they see a crime and call the Sheriff ,i cant get the sheriff to come to my house when i call them i sure hope they show when the eye in the sky calls ,Wait i got it they land at fox field then they jump in the cop car and go get the bad guy
mike says
The Sheriff’s Dept has a helicopter with the same video capacilities as the “pie in the sky”. We get the copter with our contract with the sheriff’s, so there was no need to spend a million bucks for the plane and the 100 grand a month next year to pay for it. All of this expense before the first law suit alleging invasion of privacy. Another example of your tax dollars at work!
really says
You sure about that? I dont think you are…educate yourself before you speak about an issue.
Intellectual says
What a well thought out argument. Maybe you could be mayor next.?
really says
Why? Because I point out that Stinger is wrong on this one? Or because I submit that if someone says something as if it were fact, they should actually know the facts. Opinions are fine, stating something that isnt true is different.
really says
Sorry it was mike that is misinformed not Stinger
Stinger says
Thank you, sir, for the clarification.
Sovereignty Soldier says
How is he wrong? The LASD has FLEER already. It is a helicopter mounted camera with accesory lenses for different uses! FLEER sees infrared already and is used at night when chasing suspects and also for recon of indoor marijuana grows via the heat generated by the lights!
YES really!!
Letlow says
It’s not the same as a regular sheriff helicopter. This spy plane will be recording video all the time, whereas a cop chopper only comes when called. Also, the spy place can dip into two years worth of video surveillance at a moments notice and jam someone up for a crime retroactively.
I have mixed feeling about this new toy. On one hand, it could rid this town of all the stick ups that’s been happening as of late. Big plus!! But on the other hand, it has the potential for abuse if it falls into the wrong hands. And it remains to be seen if any of the video will hold up in court.
We’ll just have to see how it plays out. I mean, what choice do we have?
tanya says
We dont have a choice. Arent we supposed to? I thought so. I’m pretty sure though the prosecutors in the av are lovin this spy plane.
Quigley says
So does this mean there will be another line in the AV separating Lancaster & Palmdale, like we do now in each city with the West & East Side? If that’s the case good luck to Palmdale and the crime rate.
Turd Ferguson says
Palmdale has a lower crime rate than Lancaster.Without declarations of war on Bloods,section 8,pitbulls,Mongols,ACLU,or any other group.Without unproved and expensive spyplanes.Time will tell whether this contraption is actual crime fighting technology,or a ploy to line the pockets of insiders.I suspect the latter.So do most people.
Michelle Egberts says
@ Turd Ferguson… you are right, but not by much. Actually, Quartz Hill is lower than both Lancaster and Palmdale.
According to the latest six-month summary (January 16, 2012 to July 15, 2012) from all departments, the stats are:
PALMDALE:
349 Violent Crimes
1,556 Property Crimes
162.2 Crimes per 10,000 people
LANCASTER:
436 Violent Crimes
1,648 Property Crimes
172.5 Crimes per 10,000 people
QUARTZ HILL:
18 Violent Crimes
72 Property Crimes
96.2 Crimes per 10,000 people
source: http://crime.latimes.com/
abdul majeed askia says
If we made collective effort to reachout to people
it would be less crime. Law enforcements roll is
to catch the criminal. The educational department,
the scientist,the clergy,psychologist, teachers
and others are to be out edcating people in a way
that they want commit crime!The more we depend on
law enforcement the more it becomes a police
state by default! The less envolved we are in sharing
love,time,energy,compassion and moral support
to oiur youth the more apt crimes will be committed.
Law enforcement is limited,they are not geared
to reach,teach and educate! It is about tsk forces,
drag nets,semi automatic weapons and jails when
it comes to law enforcement. The community is
always in the majority;therefore,if the community
was aboutpositive activity with its youth and
neighbors it would be less crime for law enforcement
to combat!abdulaskia@yahoo.com/national public
speaker….
Michelle Egberts says
@abdul majeed askia… You’re right, law enforcement alone can not combat new crime and reduce the current 70% recidivism rate, it takes a community to “step up & step out”. The most robust and innovative models of supervision are now community based.
California public safety practices have been dramatically changed since the passage of Assembly bill (AB109 and AB118), California Justice Realignment Act of 2011. REENTRY IS RELATIONAL. Only PROGRAMS with a plan for transitioning between formal and informal social control will ultimately reduce recidivism.
It is clear that Realignment is already dramatically changing criminal justice in California, with the state prison population under 140,000 for the first time since 1996. Statewide, 38,000 individuals who would have been the responsibility of the State are instead supervised and house by local county probation and sheriff departments. That number includes 23,000 who are now under the supervision of local probation departments as “Post Release Community Supervision” (PRCS) offenders instead of parolees under state jurisdiction. As a result, the number under state parole supervision is under 70,000 for the first time in more than a decade.
Interlinking city mayor’s into this realignment is vitally essential in successful reentry as they can hold partners and city agencies accountable for their successes and failures. The non-profit agencies who bidded for AB109 funding to provide services for the PRCS population will not be paid unless they prove positive results.
John says
LAKE LOS ANGELES:
21 Violent Crimes
79 Property Crimes
89.8 Crimes per 10,000 people
Jack says
is safety tied to demographics?
palmdale
white – 49%
black – 13.8 %
lancaster
white – 49.6%
black – 20.5%
Jack says
Hey, why are you hijacking my name?
Dana says
Where did you get your demographics? While researching the Antelope Valley I found much different numbers. I guess when you look at it statistics are just that, numbers. If you do not like the way it looks you can take a few out and remultipy it. It is a fact that the demographics of the antelope valley have change drastically over the last 20 years it is no longer predominately white. You should try adding hispanics to that and see how it changes.
Adam Chant says
According to the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance – http://aveconomy.org
2012 Economic Roundtable Report
Antelope Valley:
White Alone 58.34%
Black/African American Alone 14.36%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 1.03%
Asian Alone 3.45%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.22%
Some Other Race 17.03%
Two or More Races 5.58%
Lancaster:
White Alone 56.3%
African American 19.7%
Native American 0.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander 4.5%
Some Other Race 12.9%
Two or More Races 5.7%
Palmdale:
White Alone 48.1%
African American 17.9%
Native American 0.8%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3.8%
Some Other Race 23.8%
Two or More Races 5.7%
Theodore says
Ironic? Palmdale has 10% LESS white people than Lancaster. Wonder if that’s why their crime rate is lower. Wasn’t it by about 10%?
William says
Good point, Theodore.
Let’s face it. Despite the pious “In God We Trust” on the wall of the council chambers of Lancaster and the prayers before meetings, the city’s leaders have created a divisive and unpleasant culture compared to Palmdale.
Parris is a real jerk, an arrogant jerk and, of course, the city is going to take on his personality as long as residents support him.
Palmdale has crime too as does every city but it has the benefit of a great mayor, Jim Ledford, and it shows in the tremendous improvements and amenities the city has built in the last 20 years in the face of several severe recessions and an antagonist group of politicians to the north.
I’m so glad I moved to Palmdale and not to Lancaster by mistake when I didn’t know the politics back then.
Josh t. says
Hispanics are not a race. We are a culture made up of different races. You can be ” Hispanic” and be any race. Over half of Hispanics (like 65% among Mexican Americans) identify as White/Caucasian on US Census forms. My family is Mexican and we’ve been here three generations now, my moms side are from Texas and most of my dads are from So Cal.
If you go the east coast, many Hispanics from puerto Rico are black and pick “black” on the Census.
TheTruth says
Monitored by “outside sources?” Who would you suggest dana? Like I told AVTC above, you will call the cops to report a rape, a loved one being shot, a savage breaking into your house, but they can’t monitor the camera?? I think you should call those “outside sources” next time you have a police problem, or better yet, handle it yourself!
William says
I think you recently wrote that Palmdale had higher property values than Lancaster. That probably has a lot to do with the higher crime rate in Lancaster.
Decades of lousy planning have made Lancaster a large but low rent city. The old Factory Outlet was a bust. I don’t even know what it’s called now. Valley Central Way is another so-so place I don’t even bother to go to any more.
I doubt if any upscale housing developments will again be built in Lancaster as in the past, just ‘affordable’ higher density homes.
And, the BLVD isn’t going to make Lancaster a ‘world class city’ either as Parris constantly boasts.
So, criminals will migrate to lower rent Lancaster rather than Palmdale or Quartz Hill, so it will be a constant battle with crime. But, the source of the ‘low rent’ quality of Lancaster is also the source of the crime and that is poor planning by the city’s leaders for several decades. I doubt that it can easily be turned around, if ever.
And, it’s interesting that Lancaster had a head start as far as being the premiere city in the Antelope Valley. Twenty years ago, there was nothing in Palmdale. It now has 2 large shopping districts on both sides of town plus a central civic center. I was amazed at the development happening on 47th Street East and it’s not even finished.
If you own a home anywhere in Lancaster, has the BLVD increased your home’s value? I’m sure new home buyers looking at Palmdale will like having the AV Mall or the shopping on 47th Street East as a plus. In addition, are the 2 great parks on both sides of town and the lower crime rates.
Josh t. says
AGAIN… Same pig, different shade of lipstick!
FUNNY says
Funny Good luck with that