Boise (670 KBOI News) – Drones are useful, says Ada County Commissioner Jim Tibbs, but it’s all in how they’re used.
The County uses them to monitor the landfill, or to keep tabs on flooding, but when people use them improperly, it’s illegal.
“We’ve had a couple of situations reported to us, from some concerned citizens, that they’ve seen drones hovering outside their living room window,” said Tibbs. “One citizen said one of them was hovering over the head of his young daughter.”
Tibbs says that’s why the Commission has passed an ordinance to adopt the same regulations the FAA already has at the county level. He says that’ll make it easier to enforce them.
The ordinance says it’s illegal to use a drone or other RC aircraft to harass people or traffic, capture someone else’s video or photographic image, or to interfere with firefighters or other emergency personnel. Violations are an infraction, with a $100 fine.
