The decision, Chief of Patrol John Chell explained in an interview with WPIX, was inspired by a trip Mayor Eric Adams took to Israel last week to tour their National Police Academy. He was joined on the trip by Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry and First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella.
Adams since told a reporter that pairing drones with NYPD officers riding on motorcycles would help cut down on emergency response times.
The drones, Chell said, "could spot out what the situation is from overhead and give us a heads up as to what we're looking at." He said the technology could be used in responding to ShotSpotter alerts, which is technology already being used to pinpoint the location of a shooting real-time.
Critics have warned that expanding police drones — equipped with recording capability and night vision — threaten individual civil liberties and could be used to surveil protesters.
Earlier this month, the NYPD and FDNY started using drones to monitor for sharks above a number of city beaches, including one Staten Island beach.
In terms of commercial use, the Adams administration has made it easier for businesses to obtain licenses to operate in the city, Gothamist reported.
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