Tactical tech: NYPD adds robots to its police force

The New York Police Department has added robots to its police force.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Mayor Eric Adams announced the use of these high-tech machines to combat crime in Times Square on Tuesday morning.

The NYPD welcomed two state-of-the-art robots, the Digidog and the K5 Autonomous Security Robot. The Digidog was prematurely discontinued in 2021 due to public backlash, but both models will now form part of the police unit.

The models will be available for the public to ask questions for three days as they will be on display in Times Square, according to Adams’s press secretary.

“We cannot be afraid of [the technology],” Adams emphasized with the New York Post, “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.”

“A few loud people were opposed to [them previously], and we just took a step back,” Adams said, referring to the previous backlash against robots in the police force.

Adams stressed that these robots will not be armed with any weapons.

Sewell echoed the mayor’s statements, emphasizing the need for police to adopt new technology to keep the city safe, adding that technology is only as effective as the person or people using it.

The two models are intended for distinct purposes. The Digidogs, smaller and more mobile, are “ideal for hostage negotiations, barricaded individuals, hazardous chemical/radiation zones, and other dangerous incidents.” The K5, a 5-foot egg-shaped robot, is designed to patrol designated areas equipped with a dozen microphones and a 360-degree camera to monitor and alert authorities of people in restricted areas.