Mayor Eric Adams desires extra eyes within the sky.
The mayor this week introduced a brand new “Drone Operations Committee” that can coordinate and increase official deployments of the aerial robots citywide.
The committee, overseen by Deputy Mayor for Public Security Kaz Daughtry, will “cement New York City’s position as a national leader” within the airborne know-how, officers mentioned in a press launch.
“Drones are the future of public safety, and under Deputy Mayor Daughtry’s leadership, New York City’s first-ever Drone Operations Committee will take this technology to the next level,” Adams mentioned in a press release.
“New Yorkers deserve to know that when there’s an emergency — whether it’s a terror threat, a protest, or a natural disaster.”
The announcement comes after the profitable 2023 launch of the NYPD Technical Help Response Unit’s expanded drone program, which recorded it’s two hundredth subway browsing bust this month.
In that case, hair-raising police drone footage nabbed 4 youths climbing on high of a northbound 6 practice because it crossed over the Westchester Avenue Bridge on July 10 — with all of the subway surfers later busted.
Drones have additionally been deployed to maintain a lookout for sharks at metropolis seashores, monitor suspects who flee crime scenes and monitor large-scale public occasions within the 5 boroughs.
The mayor’s high-flying new committee may even coordinate the growth of the NYPD’s “Drone as First Responder” initiative, which might ship the bots to any metropolis precinct inside minutes.
“Our public safety strategy is built on interagency coordination, real-time intelligence, and the smartest technology available,” Daughtry mentioned in a press release.
“Drones are a force multiplier — they give us eyes on the ground in seconds, help us coordinate evacuations, monitor critical infrastructure, and keep our first responders safe,” he added.
