California residents who lit illegal fireworks over the July 4 holiday may be in for a nasty surprise in the mail thanks to covert fire department operations.

A number of California cities, including Sacramento, have begun using drones to locate people shooting off illegal fireworks. From Wednesday to Saturday night, the Sacramento Fire Department’s special fireworks task force patrolled the streets with unmarked cars and drones, focusing on neighborhoods where they’ve had prior complaints. Task force officers and the drones took photos of the illegal activity, and within 30 days the property owner where the fireworks were used could receive a fine in the mail.

  • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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    18 hours ago

    If you’re setting off fireworks, you have no expectation of privacy.

    It’s shouting “look at me!” for miles around.

    • foggy@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      An expectation of privacy has literally nothing to do with the 4th amendment.

      • SheeEttin@lemmy.zip
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        5 hours ago

        Which fourth amendment are you reading? Because the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution is pretty clearly about privacy.

          • SheeEttin@lemmy.zip
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            5 hours ago

            The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

            privacy

            the state of being apart from other people or concealed from their view; solitude; seclusion.

            the state of being free from unwanted or undue intrusion or disturbance in one’s private life or affairs; freedom to be let alone.

            freedom from damaging publicity, public scrutiny, secret surveillance, or unauthorized disclosure of one’s personal data or information, as by a government, corporation, or individual.

            https://www.dictionary.com/browse/privacy

            Seems pretty clear cut to me. If you disagree, I’m anxious to hear your explanation.

            • foggy@lemmy.world
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              5 hours ago

              I’m not going to waste my time. The context was public expectation of privacy. It is different. Learn to read.

    • mienshao@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      Seriously. I hate when people who have no idea how the law works start throwing around the Constitution. Like how is it “unreasonable search and seizure” for the government to use cameras to see who’s setting off literal sky-high explosives in their backyard? That definitely falls under the realm of ‘reasonable’ govt actions lol

    • socphoenix@midwest.social
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      18 hours ago

      Plus it’s outside where there already is t an expectation of privacy? It’s always been legal in the US to take photos from the street/sky for evidence