Why do the police justify buying unsafe drones from China?
The U.S. Congress has expressed concern over plans by the NYPD to use Chinese drones in five high-crime areas. The government's concerns were voiced by NYPD Deputy Operations Commissioner Kaz Daughtry at a House of Representatives hearing.
Daughtry noted that the department is trying to phase out Chinese-made drones, but also said in their defense that Chinese drones are much more efficient and cheaper than any American ones.
Several congressmen expressed doubts about the use of devices made by China's main drone supplier, Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology (DJI). In January, the FBI and CISA warned that Chinese-made drones pose a threat to critical infrastructure. It is noteworthy that at the moment they make up the majority in the American market.
Congressman August Pfluger noted that the widespread use of Chinese drones in critical sectors of the United States raises national security concerns and may increase the risk of unauthorized access to important systems and data.
Daughtry told Congress that the NYPD will start purchasing devices from U.S. manufacturers, and personally contacted the CEOs of top U.S. drone manufacturers to let them know that DJI "performs better than U.S. drones."
"DJI has capabilities that local manufacturers can't offer at the same price, and we're talking about a tool that frontline police officers need to protect our lives," Daughtry said.
The program, which is currently being tested, will combine drones with ShotSpotter's acoustic detection and localization technology. The system will send coordinates of shots fired to drone stations in five selected neighborhoods located in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New York's Central Park. The signal will then be transmitted to the drone operator, who activates the drone for autonomous flight to the scene of the accident. The drone will create a visualization of the crime scene, and police officers will be able to see it through smartphones even before arriving at the scene.
Each of the five districts will be equipped with two roof-mounted drone stations. However, such an innovation may cause a negative reaction from society. Human rights activists and many community leaders in high-crime areas believe that ShotSpotter is unreliable and promotes racially-oriented policing practices.
ACLU human rights activists estimate that more than 1,400 U.S. police departments use drones. The ACLU estimates that the number of cities and towns that will follow suit is already more than 10, and that number will continue to increase.
Currently, 85 drones serve more than 10,000 km of New York City streets and highways, 472 subway stations, and 274 housing developments. The use of drones by police increased by 420% from 2022 to 2023, but the technology is not used for non-warrant searches, street patrolling, traffic control, or stopping vehicles. The drones are also not equipped with weapons, Daughtry noted.
The U.S. Congress has expressed concern over plans by the NYPD to use Chinese drones in five high-crime areas. The government's concerns were voiced by NYPD Deputy Operations Commissioner Kaz Daughtry at a House of Representatives hearing.
Daughtry noted that the department is trying to phase out Chinese-made drones, but also said in their defense that Chinese drones are much more efficient and cheaper than any American ones.
Several congressmen expressed doubts about the use of devices made by China's main drone supplier, Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology (DJI). In January, the FBI and CISA warned that Chinese-made drones pose a threat to critical infrastructure. It is noteworthy that at the moment they make up the majority in the American market.
Congressman August Pfluger noted that the widespread use of Chinese drones in critical sectors of the United States raises national security concerns and may increase the risk of unauthorized access to important systems and data.
Daughtry told Congress that the NYPD will start purchasing devices from U.S. manufacturers, and personally contacted the CEOs of top U.S. drone manufacturers to let them know that DJI "performs better than U.S. drones."
"DJI has capabilities that local manufacturers can't offer at the same price, and we're talking about a tool that frontline police officers need to protect our lives," Daughtry said.
The program, which is currently being tested, will combine drones with ShotSpotter's acoustic detection and localization technology. The system will send coordinates of shots fired to drone stations in five selected neighborhoods located in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New York's Central Park. The signal will then be transmitted to the drone operator, who activates the drone for autonomous flight to the scene of the accident. The drone will create a visualization of the crime scene, and police officers will be able to see it through smartphones even before arriving at the scene.
Each of the five districts will be equipped with two roof-mounted drone stations. However, such an innovation may cause a negative reaction from society. Human rights activists and many community leaders in high-crime areas believe that ShotSpotter is unreliable and promotes racially-oriented policing practices.
ACLU human rights activists estimate that more than 1,400 U.S. police departments use drones. The ACLU estimates that the number of cities and towns that will follow suit is already more than 10, and that number will continue to increase.
Currently, 85 drones serve more than 10,000 km of New York City streets and highways, 472 subway stations, and 274 housing developments. The use of drones by police increased by 420% from 2022 to 2023, but the technology is not used for non-warrant searches, street patrolling, traffic control, or stopping vehicles. The drones are also not equipped with weapons, Daughtry noted.
