New York’s finest are about to expand their drone fleet by adding a dozen cutting-edge BRINC tactical UAVs for use in emergency situations, including hostage scenarios and humanitarian disasters.

The New York Post initially reported the police department’s purchase as involving less than 10 LEMUR 2 craft worth nearly $87,750.  The NYPD previously acquired 19 UAVs, including the 14 DJI drones it purchased in 2018.  With an expanded arsenal of 30 drones, the department will join the ranks of law enforcement agencies in major U.S. cities with large and diversified UAV fleets

Seattle-based BRINC is well-known and well-regarded in law enforcement circles as one of the nation’s leading police drone suppliers.  The group was formed in the wake of the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, in which 50 people died and hundreds were injured.  BTRINC’s founder, Blaze Reskin, then just a college student, approached a number of police departments after the shooting with fresh ideas on how to design and deploy drones in a range of crime scenarios where loss of life might be imminent – including, but not limited to, active shooter settings.

Reskin’s innovative  ideas quickly caught on.  The company has since gone on to supply dozens of law enforcement agencies with state-of-the-art UAVs, including the recently-developed LEMUR-2 drone, the most advanced of its kind.  The LEMUR 2 – which marks a significant enhancement over its predecessor model – allows for two-way audio and visual communications, the ability to shatter glass barriers to gain forced entry, enhanced indoor flight navigation,  and other tactical response elements for a wide range of possible emergencies.   It’s also equipped with high-beam spotlights and infrared FLiR cameras for night vision and detection – enhancements that are especially useful during SWAT deployments and search and rescue missions.

The NYPD’s decision to purchase  BRINC  drones reflects the desire of the new city administration to substantially upgrade its crime-fighting arsenal, partly in response to a surge in murders, robberies and other violent incidents.  But Mayor Eric Adams is also known to be fascinated with advanced crime-fighting technologies, including police drones.

Since taking office 18 months ago,  Adams has expanded use of the NYPD’s current DJI drone fleet far beyond the limited deployments of his predecessor Bill DeBlasio.  According to the New York Post, overall drone use by the NYPD has doubled over the first 15 months of the Adams administration compared to the last 15 months of de Blasio’s tenure.  In addition, Adams has ramped up drone training and testing to nearly three times the level reached during the last months of DeBlasio’s tenure.

Adams has plans to widen the use of the city’s expanded drone fleet as new exigencies arise.  One likely area is the establishment of a Drone First Responder (DFR) program modeled on the Chula Vista, California PD’s.  DFR allows drones to respond automatically to a 911 call and to fly to a potential crime scene without the need for remote piloting or even visual observation.  The drone can allow field officers and medical personnel to size up the tactical requirements of their response before they actually arrive.  DFR programs have been shown to save lives by allowing officers to be better prepared to react to potential crimes with appropriate levels of force.  In addition, with a BRINC-type drone, two-way communication with a perpetrator or hostage taker can be used to de-escalate a tense situation before it spirals out of control.

Another future NYPD drone deployment is likely to be shore patrol.  Last week, after a shark attack on Rockaway Island resulted in beach closures, Adamas announced that the NYPD would use a portion of its drone fleet to scan the city’s coastal waters to warn swimmers and waders of the presence of sharks.  Shore patrols can also bolster the rescue of efforts of the Coast Guard and other city agencies in the event of boat capsizes and other waterborne emergencies

While most New Yorkers will likely welcome these deployments, others could well prove controversial.  Last month, the city floated the idea of using drones to broadcast public emergency warnings, especially in response to extreme weather events.  Critics complained that the idea smacked of Big brother and was also unnecessary9 in view of existing warning systems via TV, radio and cell phone that have already proven effective

New York’s rapidly expanding drone presence is only part of its enhanced technology-based crime presence that has some civil libertarians concerned.  Another measure of the city’s surveillance of private citizen’s social media usage, ostensibly to detect possible terrorism.

The Adams administration  has recently relaxed its local regulations to accommodate demands for expanded drone flying by commercial and recreational fliers.  But critics have charged that the new regulations are still onerous because they require prospective fliers to apply for permission to fly with 30 days notice and a  hefty application fee, with no guarantee that their permission will be granted.  They also fear that the new requirements will make it harder for news media organizations and journalists to report on the news and to investigate corporate and public wrongdoing.  None of these new restrictions apply to the NYPD or other first-responders in  fire and rescue and medical services which  are deemed by their nature to serve the public interest.

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