Police Drones in Central Park

Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD brass announced on Wednesday a new drone first responder program focused on Central Park and other areas of the Big Apple.  The drones will be deployed above Central Park and will patrol the area akin to a uniformed officer until a 911 call is received or a shotspotter alert is activated. Top police brass also underscored that the drones themselves are piloted at all times by cops. In addition to Central Park, drones will be placed on the roofs of the 67th, 71st, and 75th police precincts in Brooklyn and the 48th Police Precinct in the Bronx.

According to Mayor Adams, the new drone pilot program will see several aircraft stationed at several police precincts throughout the city, most notably the Central Park Precinct, which covers the green space’s 843 acres. Hizzoner charges that the drones will help drastically reduce 911 response times.

“Drone potential is really just taking off,” Mayor Adams said. “We are leveraging the latest technology to enhance the NYPD’s emergency-response capabilities, remotely sending drones to the exact longitude and latitude of where an emergency call comes and sometimes in as little as a minute. These drones will mean more efficient policing and will help increase the safety of our responding NYPD officers and New Yorkers.”