Skynet Laughs

Big Brother is always watching:

• In a sign of things to come as law enforcement tools evolve with the times, a Chicago police drone team is being credited with tracking down a man who allegedly fired shots outside Soldier Field this month.

  It happened just after 5 p.m. on September 14 when police received reports of gunfire near 18th Street and Lake Shore Drive, according to a CPD report. Officers responded in patrol cars, as they always do. But this time they had a little high-tech backup: a police drone unit was patrolling the area from above.

  As officers searching the area heard more shots fired, the drone operators reported seeing a man holding a gun on the west side of Soldier Field, the report said.

So how long have they been operating? What are the limitations on pursuits? What is the range of the drone? Or drones?

And most importantly, what are the qualifications and necessary phone calls to get assigned to the Drone Unit?