Not Over My Backyard!!! An Experimental Study of Privacy Issues and Situational Factors Related to Receptivity of Police Drones Use

• In Event: Social Media, Drones, and Policing: Perceptions and Possibilities

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are an innovative technology that has received significant interest from the law enforcement community. The size and ability, technological capability, and cost effectiveness of UAVs make them an attractive tool for law enforcement agencies to utilize in the course of operations, including domestic surveillance. Despite the potential benefits to the society, public perception of police UAV use is mixed, and “Not Over My Backyard (NOMBY)” attitudes relevant to Fourth Amendment privacy concerns are consistently demonstrated across studies related to public perceptions on this emerging technology.

The present study focuses on the relative impact of privacy threats and other situational factors on individuals’ perceptions of police and their use of UAV technology. Research using a scenario-based experimental design examined the main and interactive effects of the: (1) type of police work, (2) participant’s connection to the target of surveillance, and (3) mission outcome success. The implications of the findings for future research, public policy, and law enforcement practices are discussed.

Authors

• Mari Sakiyama, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Joel D Lieberman, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Terance D. Miethe, University of Nevada, Las Vegas