They resemble oversized model airplanes or helicopters, but they carry sophisticated cameras and computer systems. They’re called drones, and these autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles are changing the way police across the United States are fighting crime.

Drones have been in use by the military since the Vietnam War

The technology has only recently been adapted for domestic police use. As the number of drones in the U.S. airspace literally takes off, critics are beginning to raise concerns about privacy in the face of aerial drone surveillance. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Supreme Court are seemingly in a holding pattern over the issue of drone legislation, as lawmakers struggle to reconcile privacy concerns with the myriad benefits drone usage will bestow on law enforcement and the economy.

All this controversy hasn’t stopped police departments from embracing drone technology, which offers police the opportunity to increase their reach in spite of limited personnel and budgets. Only time will tell how the laws surrounding drone usage unfold, but with diverse applications ranging from disaster relief to border protection to environmental conservation, it’s clear that drone technology is taking crime fighting to new heights.

Here’s what you need to know about how drones are in use by today’s law enforcement.

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