State must outlaw weaponized drones

People are walking around with their heads down and eyes glued to their cellphones — but if things don’t change, they might want to turn their eyes to the skies.

An important piece of legislation before the General Assembly needs the immediate attention of lawmakers. There is a proposal that would make it a felony to carry a weapon or an explosive in a drone. It was approved by the House during the 2016 session, but the Senate failed to take action due to budget deliberations.

We hope that’s not the case this year.

With technology improving the use of drones for everything from home deliveries to recreational use, a new set of laws with specific guidelines are needed.

Weaponized drones is a big issue across the United States, with laws varying by state, and some states are still mulling options to further strengthen laws on the books.

Here in Connecticut, Clinton resident Austin Haughwout brought the issue to the forefront when he uploaded YouTube videos of his pistol- and flamethrower-equipped drones last year. The videos went viral, sparked a national debate about the safety of drone use and spurred investigations by the Clinton Police Department and the FAA.

Haughwout, 19, has not been charged with a crime but one look at his videos shows why there is so much concern. The idea of people walking down the street with the potential of drones spitting bullets and spewing fire from above is not only unsettling and dangerous but an accident waiting to happen if steps are not taken to curtail this type of activity immediately.

Privacy is also a concern, with homeowners in Kentucky and New Jersey shooting down drones outside their homes and a Seattle woman fearing a drone was peeping in her window.

Eight states, including Vermont, Maine, Wisconsin, Nevada, North Carolina and Oregon, prohibit weaponized drones. Other states such as Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio are considering broader approaches. Kansas has enacted a law that prohibits drones from being used to stalk people and North Dakota prohibits law enforcement from attaching lethal weapons to drones.

Nationally, there were 632,068 registered drones as of December. An analysis by the Connecticut Health Investigative Team (C-HIT) of the FAA’s most recent database reveals that 5,731 drones were registered in Connecticut as of May. Those numbers will go up. The FAA expects drone sales to jump from 2.5 million this year to 7 million in 2020.

It’s pretty clear that lawmakers must get a handle on a product that can do a lot of good — such as assessing farm crops, road conditions and storm damage — but can also do a lot of harm.

Former state Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven, who recently resigned his seat, but was co-chairman of the legislature’s Public Safety and Security Committee, has said he expects the legislation will get “across the finish line.”

We certainly hope so. Nothing less will do.

Nationally, there were 632,068 registered drones as of December. An analysis by the Connecticut Health Investigative Team (C-HIT) of the FAA’s most recent database reveals that 5,731 drones were registered in Connecticut as of May. Those numbers will go up. The FAA expects drone sales to jump from 2.5 million this year to 7 million in 2020.