Robotic dogs and 'Autonomous Security Robots' — that look like a cross between a tiny rocket ship and R2-D2 — will soon be working alongside the NYPD.
But Adams said he was confident that the device would work better this time, because he’s more of a “computer geek” than his predecessor.Maddrey said the device will only be controlled by trained officers in the Technical Assistance and Response Unit and will be used in operations with the Emergency Service Unit. He added that the Digidog will only be deployed upon his orders.
The department said it spent $750,000 of forfeiture money to purchase two Digidogs, meaning the funding came from dollars seized following an arrest instead of from the NYPD’s capital budget. When asked if the NYPD ought to be spending that much money on robots in light of Adams' announcement last week that he’s asking most city agencies to“There is never the wrong time for public safety,” he said. “This is not paying and wasting. This is an investment in our public safety.
Adams said Tuesday’s demonstration would be the first in a series of technology rollouts. But City Hall’s push to equip the NYPD with state-of-the-art robots is raising alarms among police reform advocates, who have privacy and budget concerns. “I promise that if there is a series of new technologies, there’s going to be a series of new lawsuits,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. “The mayor doesn’t get to rewrite the Constitution simply because it’s inconvenient.”Samantha Max/Gothamist
Cahn said he’s skeptical that the devices actually work. He said sending a robot dog to a call with someone in the midst of a mental health crisis would be “ludicrous” and doubted that it would help to de-escalate the situation. Artificial intelligence can also be biased against certain groups or make mistakes, he added.
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