NYPD unveils three new high-tech ROBOTS to fight crime in New York City

New Yorkers are outraged after the NYPD and mayor announced a new fleet of ‘Big Brother’ robocops that will patrol the city’s streets and subways.

The Tuesday announcement was held in Times Square, where three robots debuted – one discontinued by the previous administration after it was deemed ‘racist.’

The reintroduced robotic police dog will help officers navigate dangerous situations, and the city is trialing two for $750,000.

And the K5 Autonomous Security Robot and StarChase GPS system will monitor people and vehicles – these costs are unclear.

Mayor Eric Adams ran his campaign on a promise to drive down crime in New York City and believes the robotic recruits will be used to save lives and deter atrocities in the Big Apple.

However, New Yorkers are not on the same page as the mayor when it comes to unleashing robocops in the concrete jungle. 

One resident shared their frustration about the new recruits on Twitter: ‘We want fully funded libraries and schools, not more expensive toys for the NYPD.’

While other residents said the robots are ‘dystopian surveillance technologies.’

The K5 Autonomous Security Robot (pictured) is on lease to the NYPD on a trial basis, which is set to start June or July, and will roam around Times Square or subway stations

The Tuesday announcement was held in Times Square, where three robots debuted – one discontinued by the previous administration after it was called ‘racist’

The New York City Police Department released its annual round-up of crime over the past year – revealing figures were up in virtually every category, despite recent assertions from the mayor.

The statistics paint a bleak picture of the city’s efforts to address crime that’s rocketed since the pandemic – despite Adams repeatedly claiming his campaign to resolve the issue has been successful.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell opened the event, highlighting that to safeguard the modern city, officers must be ‘equipped with the tools, training and technology necessary to do that job safely and effectively,’ she said.

The first to hit the streets will be the K5 autonomous security robot that features artificial intelligence to provide real-time incident notifications to first responders.

The egg-shaped machine, made by Knightscope, is equipped with microphones, a camera, and sonar and lidar sensors. 

And the robot uses self-driving technology like the robotic vacuum Roomba. 

It stands about 5.5 feet tall and weighs 400 pounds, with a maximum speed of three miles per hour.

Jeffrey Maddrey, chief of department at the NYPD, said at the press conference: ‘The K5 has been used by law enforcement agencies, including the Huntington Park Police, college campuses throughout this country, corporations, shopping malls, and other places where needed security and additional deterrents of crime was needed.’

The K5 is on lease to the NYPD as a trial basis, which is set to start June or July, and will roam around Times Square or subway stations.

New Yorkers are not on the same page as the mayor regarding unleashing robocops into the concrete jungle

Crime in New York City skyrocketed from 2020 to 2023. Eric Adams believes the robots will help deter criminals in the city

The StarChase GPS tracking comes in two forms: handheld and vehicle-mounted devices.

It discharges a projectile onto the vehicle, allowing the police to use GPS to track it. 

Chief John Chell said: ‘On Saturday night, we had it deployed with some trained officers. 

‘There was a stolen car in Queens. The car was followed into the Bronx. One of our Bronx units had this device. They utilized this device. 

‘The car pulled over, we made the arrest, we took a stolen car off the street. And just as important, we kept our officers safe, mitigated the pursuit, and kept the community safe.’ 

The device, used in shopping centers and other locations for several years, will at first be joined by a human partner, police said. 

The final robocop was a yellow four-legged machine that trotted around in the street. 

Adams said the remote-controlled, 70-pound Digidog will be deployed in risky situations like hostage standoffs starting this summer. 

He also said that he will not bow to anti-robot dog pressure. 

‘It was something that was introduced previously under the previous administration. And a few loud people were opposed to it, and we took a step back,’ he said.

‘That is not how I operate. I operate on looking at what’s best for the city.’ 

Adams explained that the robots are also capable of two-way communication. For example, if an officer needs to talk with a suspect, they can without getting in harm’s way. 

However, the robot dog was canceled in 2021 after the dystopian four-legged surveillance machine was condemned for targeting ‘low-income communities of color’.

Mayor Eric Adams (center) ran his campaign on a promise to drive down crime in New York City. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (left) joined him in unveiling the robots

The final robocop was a yellow four-legged machine that trotted around in the street

Progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called it a ‘robotic surveillance ground drone.’

‘Shout out to everyone who fought against community advocates who demanded these resources go to investments like school counseling instead,’ Ocacio-Cortez tweeted on February 25, 2021.

‘Now robotic surveillance ground drones are being deployed for testing on low-income communities of color with under-resourced schools.’

The $94,000 contract was scheduled to end in August but was terminated on April 22. 

The robot dog faced comparisons to an episode of the British dystopian show Black Mirror – which the show’s creator has said was inspired by similar robots made by Boston Dynamics. 

During this week’s event, a reporter asked Adams how he plans ‘to calm people’s suspicion of the device and reassure that, being transparent, that it’s going to be used.’

‘Well, first this is New York, 8.5 million people, 35 million opinions. So no matter what you do, there are going to be pros and cons,’ the mayor replied.

‘We are doing what others didn’t do. We’re putting it right here in Times Square.’

‘We’re allowing people to come in and look at Digidog and K5 and others. And we are going to bring in community leaders and say, “Here’s the technology that we have. Would you like this in your community?”‘

Adams’ promise of safety has fallen flat among New Yorkers who see the crime-fighting tech as surveillance tools.

The robot dog was tested by the NYPD in 2021. It appeared at crime scenes in February (pictured) when two men were being held hostage in an apartment in the Bronx. However, its use was quickly blasted by everyone from local politicians to late-night TV hosts

‘Mayor Adams continues to pour money into the NYPD’s bloated budget, enabling police to impose new, dystopian surveillance technologies throughout the city without meaningfully engaging New Yorkers in a conversation about whether this is how we want to live,’ said Legal Aid Society, a non-profit based in New York City.

New Yorkers are not just angry about the potential for spying – they’re also in an uproar about the cost of the robots.

‘Eric Adams just spent $750K on 2 new NYPD robot dogs – while forcing other agencies to cut 4% from budgets (on top of 3% a few months ago), adding to food insecurity, eviction crises etc,’ one Twitter user shared.

Civil libertarians and police reform advocates also questioned the need for high-tech devices. 

Ileana Mendez-Penate, program director of Communities United for Police Reform, said: ‘This latest announcement is just the most recent example of how Mayor Adams allows unmitigated overspending of the NYPD’s massively bloated budget.

‘The NYPD is buying robot dogs and other fancy tech while New Yorkers can’t access food stamps because city agencies are short-staffed, and New Yorkers are getting evicted because they can’t access their right to counsel.’