Phones are falling from the sky in Georgia with bullet holes in them

Smartphones are falling from the skies in Georgia. But it might have a bullet or a slug hole in it. If you happen to stumble upon a phone like this, this means you're near a prison.

This phone was most likely attached to a drone that was shot at in an attempt to prevent prison contraband.

We've probably all fantasized about shooting down a pesky drone (and I say that as a drone operator myself), but here, it's not about retaliation.

"Shoot 'em down"

Chris Carr is Georgia's Republican Attorney General. He is running for Georgia governor this year and he wants to combat drones that smuggle prohibited and dangerous stuff to the incarcerated – and phones are often being flown in that way.

I mean "combat" quite literally, as Carr is proposing for law enforcement officers to "shoot 'em down" in a likewise-titled video campaign.

Here it is:



It's a short ad, but I think everyone gets it right away.

But why?

Like the ad says – it's about prison security and preventing future crimes, too.

"Criminals are using drones to drop drugs and cell phones into our prisons, and inmates are using them to keep committing crimes from behind bars" says Attorney General Chris Carr.

He can't wait for bureaucrats to allow law enforcement officers to shoot down these drones and says: "If law enforcement takes action to stop one of these drones, I will stand with you".

Prison drones are becoming an increasingly urgent threat to officers, prison security and public safety across Georgia, his campaign reads. Carr is endorsed for governor by Grady County Sheriff Earl Prince, too.

Are phones that risky?

Of course. Contraband cell phones are far more than just a prohibited luxury.

They are a tool for criminals to project their influence (and schemes) far beyond prison walls. It takes a single phone to orchestrate drug trafficking or run sophisticated extortion schemes and even coordinate violent attacks on witnesses or rivals.

These phones also present a direct threat to the safety of correctional officers, as they are frequently used to organize internal riots or track the personal lives of staff for the purpose of intimidation.

Efforts to stop this flow of contraband are essential to maintaining public order and ensuring that a prison sentence actually halts criminal activity. Otherwise, what's the point?