Our freedom to assemble and our First Amendment rights in Westfield, NJ are permanently being trampled all over again by the use of police drones with the excuse from Westfield Police in a Tap Into Westfield article on May 5, 2020 being that “This is just another method or manner of conducting police patrols, and it should not be construed as anything more.” However, rhetoric like this is exactly what authorities say to the populace as they continue to chip away at our Constitutional rights.  Neither the elected officials of Westfield, NJ nor the police addressed any of the constitutional issues raised in a letter to the editor of Tap Into Westfield on April 30, 2020. 

Letter link:  https://www.tapinto.net/towns/westfield/categories/letters-to-the-editor/articles/letter-westfield-should-stay-a-no-fly-zone

After this health crisis passes, what are Westfield Police drones going to be repurposed for as their response fails to address real concerns about illegal searches and instead likens drones to body cams?  The difference is that body cams protect both the police and the public whereas drones enter all realms of invasive Constitutional breaches.  Even traffic light cameras in New Jersey are illegal so why should drones fly free?

Vote YES TO BAN Westfield, NJ from using police drones and protect your civil liberties.