Current:Home > InvestNew York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns -FutureWise Finance
New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:32:58
NEW YORK (AP) — Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone.
The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.
“If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference.
The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance
“It’s a troubling announcement and it flies in the face of the POST Act,” said Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, referring to a 2020 city law that requires the NYPD to disclose its surveillance tactics. “Deploying drones in this way is a sci-fi inspired scenario.”
The move was announced during a security briefing focused on J’ouvert, an annual Caribbean festival marking the end of slavery that brings thousands of revelers and a heavy police presence to the streets of Brooklyn. Daughtry said the drones would respond to “non-priority and priority calls” beyond the parade route.
Like many cities, New York is increasingly relying on drones for policing purposes. Data maintained by the city shows the police department has used drones for public safety or emergency purposes 124 times this year, up from just four times in all of 2022. They were spotted in the skies after a parking garage collapse earlier this year and when a giveaway event devolved into teenage mayhem.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has said he wants to see police further embrace the “endless” potential of drones, citing Israel’s use of the technology as a blueprint after visiting the country last week.
But as the technology proliferates, privacy advocates say regulations have not kept up, opening the door to intrusive surveillance that would be illegal if conducted by a human police officer.
“One of the biggest concerns with the rush to roll out new forms of aerial surveillance is how few protections we have against seeing these cameras aimed at our backyards or even our bedrooms,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP).
The NYPD did not respond to an email seeking further information about its drone policies.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams shared a link to new guidelines that make it easier for private drone operators to fly in the city, but which do not address whether the NYPD has any policies for drone surveillance.
Around 1,400 police departments across the country are currently using drones in some form, according to a recent report from the American Civil Liberty Union. Under federal rules, they are generally limited to flying within the operator’s line of sight, though many departments have requested exemptions. The report predicted the use of drones was “poised to explode” among police departments.
Cahn, the privacy advocate, said city officials should be more transparent with the public about how police are currently using drones, with clear guardrails that prevent surveillance overreach in the future.
“Clearly, flying a drone over a backyard barbecue is a step too far for many New Yorkers,” Cahn said.
veryGood! (3174)
Related
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Down Time
- Already not seeking another term, North Carolina Sen. Perry resigns from chamber
- Powerball winning numbers for July 1 drawing: Jackpot rises to $138 million
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Woman accused of killing husband, 8-year-old child before shooting herself in Louisiana
- Man who confessed to killing parents, friends in Maine sentenced to life in prison
- Jamie Foxx gives new details about mysterious 2023 medical emergency
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- USMNT eliminated from Copa America after loss to Uruguay: Highlights, score
Ranking
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- House Republicans sue Attorney General Merrick Garland, seeking Biden audio
- Jeffrey Epstein secret transcripts: Victim was asked, Do you know 'you committed a crime?'
- Despite vows of safety from OnlyFans, predators are exploiting kids on the platform
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Despite vows of safety from OnlyFans, predators are exploiting kids on the platform
- COVID trend reaches high level across western U.S. in latest CDC data
- In New York’s Finger Lakes Region, Long-Haul Garbage Trucks Trigger Town Resolutions Against Landfill Expansion
Recommendation
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Google falling short of important climate target, cites electricity needs of AI
Jeffrey Epstein secret transcripts: Victim was asked, Do you know 'you committed a crime?'
New Sherri Papini documentary will showcase infamous kidnapping hoax 'in her own words'
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Grandfather drowns near dam after heroic rescue helps grandchild to safety
Deadline extended to claim piece of $35 million iPhone 7, Apple class action lawsuit
Hunter Biden sues Fox News for publishing nude photos, videos of him in 'mock trial' show