New York City is pushing the envelope on public safety with the introduction of the “Drone as First Responder” (DFR) program, a collaborative effort of Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Interim Commissioner Tom Donlon, now operational across five commands spanning three boroughs. As reported by
the Mayor’s office
, the drones fly autonomously to priority calls, providing rapid aerial response and real-time high-definition visuals of unfolding situations.
Stationed at select precincts, including the 67th, 71th, and 75th in Brooklyn, the 48th in the Bronx, and Central Park in Manhattan, the ten newest drones aim to enhance NYPD’s response to emergencies such as missing person searches and various crimes in progress. According to
Mayor Adams
, “These drones will mean more efficient policing and will help increase the safety of our responding NYPD officers and New Yorkers,” demonstrating a leap into the future for city-wide safety measures. While deployed remotely, the movement of these autonomous drones is monitored by certified NYPD drone pilots from the Joint Operations Center and TARU stations.
The DFR drones are an extension of the NYPD’s existing drone program, which was initiated in late 2018 and has been used for tasks such as surveying structural integrity post-earthquake and assisting in rescues during natural disasters. Serving as eyes in the sky, these drones provide officers with live feeds, early threat detection, and detailed scene assessments before they even arrive on location. As Interim Commissioner Donlon stated to
the Mayor’s office
, “Our DFR program is part of this evolution,” underscoring the department’s commitment to leveraging technology for public safety.
In addition to response times that potentially outpace emergency vehicles navigating the city’s gridlock, DFR drones bring a range of capabilities to the table, including night vision, thermal imaging, and evidence collection with high-resolution cameras. These drones also aim to enhance transparency by capturing clear evidence of incidents, which, according to the NYPD, will be stored for 30 days unless pertinent to ongoing investigations. It’s a blend of efficiency and safety that, as NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry emphasized to
the Mayor’s office
, “This is now part of our crime-fighting apparatus, and it is truly a game changer.”
With the roll-out of this program, community leaders have expressed strong support, recognizing the DFR’s potential to improve safety across New York City’s public spaces. New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told
the Mayor’s office
, “As we work to make New Yorkers safer, NYPD’s DFRs are being immediately deployed by officers to help save lives while they rush to the scene; rapidly providing first responders critical information during potential shootings, searches for missing persons, and other incidents where every second matters,” highlighting the critical nature of response times. This innovation represents the growing trend of integrating advanced technology into law enforcement to better protect communities.
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