But if an agent with a telephoto lens on public property could have taken the shot, then the &quot;put this camera on something nearby&quot; would have been entirely fine.<p>The idea that the position is privileged because it&#x27;s a utility pole and it&#x27;s illegal for civilians to modify them is a pretty weak argument. I&#x27;m no even sure that&#x27;s true; people post bills and such on utility poles all the time. I&#x27;m tempted to nail a gopro up and see what happens.<p>If they had just taken a metal pole or a low-altitude drone perching on a tree as a camera base, you&#x27;d be fine with it?<p>I mean, a convicted felon was walking around with a firearm in broad daylight outside, within eyeshot of the road. The idea that this can&#x27;t be observed from external perspectives by law enforcement but a civilian could legally do it is pretty weird. Weirder than the idea that law enforcement could use surveillance drones, to me.