ST. LOUIS – Gravois Park residents and local politicians are speaking out against a proposed drone surveillance program. The company behind the program is out of Washington, D.C. St. Louis is one of a handful of cities taking part in the surveillance program aimed at deterring crime.
Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Gravois Park Neighborhood Association was full of residents hoping to get more information about the program that is bringing a lot of questions.
“We don’t know what this company is for. If it’s not affiliated with the government, are you going to use it for your movie company? That would be like b-roll in a movie that comes out in five years,” Kirsten Petty, sergeant-at-arms for the Gravois Park Neighborhood Association, said.
FOX 2 spoke with Jomo Johnson, founder of SMS Novel Films, when he announced the plans for the program last month.
“If I’m with my squad and we are planning or doing something crazy and a drone is there lit up saying, ‘You are being watched,’ I might think twice,” he said.
Residents at Tuesday’s meeting said it was something they didn’t want and didn’t ask for.
“The vast majority of people have no idea that this is set to happen,” Jake Lyonfields said. “But every time we have gotten a categorical no response.”
Neighbors said they are hopeful after learning the board of public service sent Johnson a cease-and-desist letter.
