Drones will be deployed to emergencies in one Bronx precinct as part of 'Drones as First Responders' program

A total of 109 drones will be in use with the 60 NYPD officers on the DFR team.

Amanda Bossard

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Nov 13, 2024, 11:07 PM

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Updated 14 hr ago

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Drones will be dispatched to emergencies in certain precincts across New York City, including one in the Bronx.

The 48th Precinct is one of five locations across the city that will be piloting that initiative to "fly into the future," as Mayor Eric Adams phrased it during the announcement.

The mayor and NYPD commissioner call the program "Drones as First Responders." As the name suggests, each precinct will have two drones to survey calls for missing people, robberies, ShotSpotter alerts, among other emergencies.

The 48th Precinct has seen rises in robberies, burglaries and shootings so far this year, according to NYPD data. Neighbors in Tremont have mixed feelings about this approach to drive down those numbers.

Police say the drones allow them to respond quicker, provide enhanced search capabilities and are more cost effective than a helicopter.

Beyond the Bronx, the tech is also being used at three precincts in Brooklyn, as well as Central Park.

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