Could Drones Help Philly Employees Do Their Jobs More Efficiently?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia workers using drones to get their jobs done in a more efficient manner is what City Controller Alan Butkovitz and his staff are looking into.
With a drone, Butkovitz says L&I inspectors can take a look at an entire city block in a few minutes to determine if the roofs are structurally sound.
"The problem the city is having right now is not having enough inspectors to go out and do the work in a timely fashion," he said.
He says drones can inspect dangerous buildings, provide aerial views of fires and accidents, even monitor rail lines or street conditions during severe weather.
Butkovitz and his team did a test run in late December, and he's sold on the idea. But no other city agencies have signed on yet to participate in any drone program.
"We've gotten initial positive responses from them that they are interested," he says
And what about criticism from residents concerned about privacy from those camera-equipped drones?
"We're not interested in looking in people's windows," Butkovitz said. "I think that the laws are already sufficient to protect people from that kind of invasive behavior."
It is a concern for Lynette Smith, who lives on the 25th floor of a South Philly apartment. "I have privacy issues," Smith told Eyewitness News, "but I'd rather know I'm going to be safe."
And Brian Burton says he knows what it takes to protect the public.
"I know how the government is," Burton said. "I'm military."
But when he imagines a drone like the ones Butkovitz is proposing, he says they could soar far beyond the scope of public safety.
"If you're going to get a killer off the streets, that's fine. You know what I mean. I'm with that," he said. "But this thing could explode to invading our privacy, you know what I mean. It could really get ugly."
"When I walk out my door, I want to know I'm not being watched," echoed city resident Michael Cerdan.
Butkovitz says the drones will not replace the need for inspectors, but right now, the city is not at full capacity when it comes to staffing for inspectors, so the drones can help "extend the arms and legs" of the workers they do have.
Other cities, such as Minneapolis, Somerville (Massachusetts), Ann Arbor, Allentown and Sacramento have implemented drones for multiple uses, including inspecting transmission lines, bridges, potholes, building conditions.
L&I Commissioner David Perri told CBS 3's Anita Oh the idea quote "has merit" and he appreciates the city controllers initiative. But as of now, drone use is just a recommendation and there are no concrete plans yet.
CBS 3's Anita Oh contributed to this report.
