The New York City Police Department (NYPD) will begin using drones as a stand in first responder to improve both public safety and the safety of human first responders.
The “Drone as First Responder” (DFR) program leverages aerial autonomous vehicle technology to enhance the NYPD’s emergency-response capabilities. The program is currently operational in five commands in three boroughs.
In the five commands currently operational, there are 10 drones in use. The drones will be deployed remotely and fly autonomously to the exact longitude and latitude of select priority public safety calls, including searches for missing people, alerts from the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, incidents of robberies and grand larcenies, and other crimes in progress as needed.
“When New Yorkers need help, our first responders are always there as quickly as possible to ensure their safety,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker. “This program adds a powerful tool to our toolkit, enabling police to respond faster and with more accurate information. By using technology to improve efficiency and services, we’re helping those who protect us do their jobs better when every second counts and we’re making our communities even more safe.”
A press release from the NYPD highlighted key aspects of the NYPD’s DFR program, including:
- Rapid deployment – Drones are quickly dispatched to incident locations and are able to reach many areas faster than emergency vehicles on the street and officers on foot.
- Enhanced situational awareness – Live video provides early awareness of potential threats to law enforcement personnel. Comprehensive aerial views also allow first responders to assess crime scenes, measure crowd sizes, and strategize how to best manage vehicle and pedestrian traffic situations.
- Improved first responder safety – By identifying potential hazards before officers arrive on scenes, safety is exponentially increased for first responders and the public.
- New search-and-rescue capabilities – Drones equipped with night-vision and thermal-imaging cameras can greatly assist in locating missing people or criminal suspects, especially across challenging terrain or in low-light conditions.
- Evidence collection – High-resolution cameras can capture detailed imagery for the purposes of investigation and documentation.
- Hazardous material incidents – Drones can be used to assess potentially dangerous situations without putting human first responders at immediate, undue risk.
- Natural disaster response – Following natural disasters, drones can quickly survey large areas to prioritize response efforts.
- Transparency – Footage from drones can provide clear, objective evidence of actions taken during incidents and events.
- Cost-effectiveness – Drones are significantly less expensive to operate than helicopters, which can be prioritized for other emergency responses.
The NYPD noted that every DFR flight is commanded and monitored by a NYPD officer certified as a drone pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). DFR pilots are situated at the Joint Operations Center at police headquarters in lower Manhattan or at one of the department’s off-site Technical Assistance and Response Unit (TARU) stations.
The NYPD added that pilots remotely control the drones on a computer screen that displays a live feed, enabling them to make initial scene assessments and quickly broadcast over police radios detailed descriptions of suspects and other timely information considered valuable to central dispatchers and arriving patrol officers. Each DFR mission is additionally monitored in real time by a member of the NYPD’s Legal Bureau.
