The Bronx’s 48th NYPD Precinct is set to receive police drones as part of a new citywide initiative to use the technology for quick aid and first response.
The move was announced during a federal hearing in Washington, D.C., last month, Gothamist reported. The NYPD says drones will act as first responders to clock everything from shootings to missing children.
The 48th NYPD Precinct in the West Bronx — which covers the Belmont, East Tremont and West Farms areas — is the only station in the borough that will receive the new technology to start, according to ABC7 New York. The agency also plans to test out drones in two Brooklyn precincts, as well as the Central Park Precinct in Manhattan.
In a visit to the 48th Precinct on May 21, NYPD officers said they couldn’t answer specific questions about the pilot program and directed the Bronx Times to the agency’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI); however, one officer did say the drone team hadn’t shown up with equipment yet. DCPI didn’t answer specific Bronx Times questions via email about whether or not the 48th Precinct has heard any feedback about the pilot program or what the timeline is for the project in the Bronx.
The Bronx’s 48th Precinct, which sits in the very center of the borough, has the fourth highest crime rate per 1,000 residents at 33 crimes. The 40th, 41st and 42nd have higher crime rates per 1,000 residents — at 39, 38 and 34, respectively.
‘The possibilities are endless’
Bronx Times affiliate amNewYork Metro has learned that the NYPD will be sending drones to shooting scenes, giving cops the ability to assess situations in less than a minute and also drop medical devices from the sky. The drones will respond to activations of ShotSpotter — the department’s citywide network of sound sensors used to detect potential gunshots — and will fly to the scene via a drone pilot based in the NYPD’s Joint Operations Center in Lower Manhattan.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry says police will use the footage drones gather to determine if an active shooter is still on scene, quickly identify and track a suspect, and determine if anyone is in need of immediate medical treatment.
“ShotSpotter is integrated into this drone in the box,” Daughtry said. “When ShotSpotter activates, shotspotter will send a remote signal to the drone docking station. We are looking for a person lying on the ground who needs help. When we ask what happens a lot of time people will point, so these are the things the drone pilot is looking for.”
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said this technology will not only be invaluable in catching shooting suspects, but also help responding officers realize the severity of the situation.
“Picture it this way: if each precinct had a drone in the back of a police car it [could be] used to find missing people in real time, it [could be] used to find someone hiding in a backyard somewhere,” Chell said. “Think about the speed and quickness they can get to certain jobs to give us a bird’s eye view, to gather evidence, to see what’s happening much quicker than a police car can get there.”
Gothamist reported that while the NYPD’s drones — which at the time of the program’s announcement last month totaled 85 units — aren’t equipped with facial recognition technology, the agency can still run the footage through its facial recognition database at police headquarters.
Over the summer, Daughtry told amNewYork Metro that drones will survey city beaches to spot swimmers struggling in the water — and even be able to drop expandable flotation devices to help keep them afloat.
He also says he is looking into how drones could save lives in the future, beyond the summer — such as by equipping the devices with Narcan that can be administered to those suffering overdoses, or defibrillators that can help EMTs quickly resuscitate cardiac arrest patients.
“The possibilities are endless,” Daughtry said.
Another version of this story was originally published by AMNewYorkMetro.
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