Staff Reports
The Big Apple has made a big move towards protecting its law-abiding citizens, and it’s all thanks to the New York Police Department. Just recently, the NYPD introduced several robots to both Times Square and the city’s subway system to prevent crimes from happening. The Post reported two of these machines are “Digi-dogs” that come with a price tag of almost $750,000. Meanwhile, an egg-shaped robot possesses a license plate reader in addition to its cutting-edge features such as more than a dozen microphones, a 360-degree HD camera, and sonar and lidar sensors that monitor the subway’s restricted hours to stop people from falsely entering.
Today's cover: NYPD rolls out ‘snitchBOT’ to patrol city subways, monitor criminals https://t.co/thJgbsz0lw pic.twitter.com/9vOqKctRuX
— New York Post (@nypost) April 12, 2023
Mayor Eric Adams shared his thoughts on this initiative during a news conference, “If we were not willing to move forward and use technology to properly keep cities safe, then we will not keep up with those who are doing harmful things to hurt New York.” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell also attended the conference and emphasized that they must have top-of-the-line equipment to ensure the proper execution of police operations. After all, the NYPD has been around for nearly 200 years and has always stayed true to that standard.
Digidog makes an appearance. NYPD says the department spent $750k of forfeiture money to purchase the technology. Maddrey says it will only be used at his orders. pic.twitter.com/krxNjMcYfv
— Samantha Max (@samanthaellimax) April 11, 2023
But, despite efforts to improve public and officer safety, some people still have reservations. One officer reportedly told The Post, when referring to the egg-shaped robot, that it looks like the machine in the grocery store that swabs spills. The same officer then asked a perceptive question, “Will these robots wipe up blood from victims?” This is an understandable concern since the NYPD reported a staggering 40% surge in felony crimes on the subway system in 2021, which included gruesome acts such as murder and rape.
While the new machines offer a ray of hope for the city of New York, law enforcement officers understand that these robots are just tools. As Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell stated, “We know that technology is just a tool, and it is only as effective as the person or people using it.” With a combination of this new technology and skilled personnel, the NYPD and the city of New York are already taking considerable steps towards securing a safer future for all its occupants.
