Police in New York City have commandeered the Fuji Blimp to keep an eye on the Republican National Convention. But that's not all. The police will have some very high-resolution cameras able to read the phone numbers in your little black book, should you hold it skyward.
Is this right? Jock Gill doesn't think so, and, in a post to a listserv I'm on, he asks all the right questions about this kind of activity:
If this is domestic spying, who is authorized to do it and who is prohibited?If this is domestic spying, who is authorized to do it and who is prohibited?
What does such a surveillance blimp say about [U.S.] constitutional rights to freely assemble without restraint or intimidation and [U.S.] rights to free speech?
Who gets to see the pictures taken? Will they be subject to FOIA? Will they be archived in secret? What is their fate and should we be concerned?
What recourse do we have?
Jock's post on that mailing list prompted this reply from Reuben Helper, who says in his post he works in sports broadcasting and has some knowledge of what's on board the FujiBlimp:
During a broadcast the During a broadcast the blimp uses an image stabilizing Canon 100x lens mounted on a gyroscopic stabilization platform. The magnification and resolution are quite superb. I'm sure the NYPD and Co. have other goodies on board, though the blimp cabin doesn't have a whole lot of extra space for gear.