Ontario Police Use Drones to Strictly Crack Down on "Using Phones While Driving," Sparking Controversy!

Earlier this month, the Ontario police deployed drones at three busy intersections in Kingston to specifically catch drivers using their phones while driving.

By the end of May 7th, the police issued 20 distracted driving tickets, with every violation clearly captured by drones in the air.

This was the first time that the Kingston police used drones for law enforcement to crack down on phone usage while driving. After the news broke, it sparked intense debates on social media — some criticized this practice as going too far, while others believed it was a necessary innovation.

Police Chief Scott Fraser defended the move, stating that the police were simply utilizing new technology to gather information similar to the photographic evidence used in previous law enforcement efforts to prove that drivers were using their phones while driving.

However, legal experts believe this is an invasion of privacy, constituting an unreasonable search and seizure that may violate Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states that "citizens should not be subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures."

Dominic Naimool, a lawyer who specializes in privacy rights, expressed shock and concern upon learning about the police's use of drones to monitor drivers.

"Canadian courts have consistently emphasized that even under reasonable circumstances, any invasion of privacy must be necessary and minimized."

Naimool believes that although the police's work is important, it cannot come at the cost of infringing on constitutionally guaranteed rights.

He has contacted the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), which recently sent a letter to the Kingston police demanding an immediate halt to the use of drones to photograph drivers inside vehicles, threatening legal action if the demand is not met.

Former Ontario Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian also expressed astonishment at this method of law enforcement, calling it "absurd."

In response to CCF's litigation threat, Fraser stated that the police would carefully evaluate their legal advice, and if the court rules that drones cannot be used for law enforcement, they will comply.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832400115209216/

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