Watch out all NYC outlaws, there’s a new sheriff in town who can fly and traverse every nook and cranny within the blink of an eye and without breaking a sweat. Actually, there are 14 new sheriffs, but they are not really sheriffs at all…instead they are a fleet of drones. This new fleet is leading a new age in the fight against crime in NYC. The New York Police Department made a formal announcement on December 4th, 2018, and it’s a move that has earned the policing division of the city a few fans and foes alike. Civil advocacy groups have taken to the latter side of the divide raising concerns regarding the department’s true intention for the all-seeing watchdog drones

The NYPD was, however, quick to stop those fears assuring the everyone that the new technology wasn’t meant for citizen surveillance or enforcing traffic laws. Rather, the drones would primarily focus on remedying hostage scenarios, helping with CSI procedures and patrolling large city events such as concerts and shows. NYPD further revealed that 29 officers who have been trained to fly and monitor the drones.

In an attempt to emphasize a growing need for the use of effective technology in a city that ranks as the largest in the country, Police Commissioner James P. O’Neil was quick to mention the many benefits of drones. The Police Commissioner believes that their use could potentially help stop many problems, hence drones are more of a necessity than a matter of convenience.

Assurances from the the NYPD were not enough to calm local groups who are concerned that surveillance will be among the drones’ duties. While the combination of drones and police work has already been effective in a number of cities throughout the United States, there are still concerns. The New York Civil Liberties Unions, for example, are particularly wary of the seemingly unrestricted drone policy that allows the police department to keep a video archive of all flight footage.

The NYCLU commended the city police for agreeing to a sit down before the program was rolled out, but acknowledged not being 100% on board. The group believes that while the new policy does have its pros, it is lacking in terms of striking balance in a scale that features the privacy of New Yorkers to one side and law-enforcement objectives to the other.