The NYPD will soon enhance its crime-fighting efforts with the Drone as First Responder (DFR) pilot program. Announced by NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry, the program will deploy drones in response to certain 911 calls for serious crimes in progress, such as shootings, robberies, and missing persons.

Drones will launch from five precincts: the 48th Precinct in the Bronx, the 67th, 71st, and 75th Precincts in Brooklyn, and Central Park. They will provide real-time video and telemetry to officers, enhancing situational awareness and safety. Daughtry stated, “The information provided by DFR will be shared with responding officers. [It] will enhance officers’ situational awareness as they arrive on scene, promote officer safety, and help us deploy resources more effectively.”

The NYPD currently uses 85 drones for various tasks, including monitoring major events and inspecting structural stability after accidents. Despite a 400% increase in drone use last year, Daughtry emphasized they cannot be used for “warrantless surveillance” or “traffic enforcement.”

“The plan, to be rolled out in the coming months, is to deploy these drones in response to certain 911 calls for service,” Daughtry stated. He added that the program would start with four precincts in Brooklyn and the Bronx, chosen “based on recent crime trends.”

The drones will launch from rooftops of precinct station houses, with pilots operating from NYPD headquarters. “The information provided by DFR will be shared with responding officers,” Daughtry said. “[It] will enhance officers’ situational awareness as they arrive on scene, promote officer safety, and help us deploy resources more effectively.”