The ACLU claims the program will put everyone in the city "under constant aerial surveillance."
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The plan calls for the BPD to have planes equipped with cameras fly over the city at least 40 hours per week. Officials said the program will help officers use data to help solve crimes.
The ACLU argues government officials have used similar technology in the past for other purposes.
"It is equivalent to having a police officer follow us, each of us, outside all the time in case we might commit a crime," said David Rocah, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Maryland. "If that happened in real life, everyone would clearly understand the privacy and First Amendment implications, and it would never be tolerated."
The ACLU said the aerial surveillance technology can be easily combined with the BPD's existing ground cameras, license plate readers and other sensors to tie data together and provide highly detailed information about residents' identities and activities.
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