Meet ‘Spot’, the robotic ‘dog’ who joins the NYPD

NEW YORK – The New York City police have welcomed a new member: a robotic police “dog”. The K-9 robotic mobile device is one of a series of technology implementations that the city says are “crucial” to keeping the city safe.

Mayor Eric Adams joined NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and other police chiefs Tuesday morning for a demonstration of three new technologies the department plans to use as part of an overall plan to use new technologies and innovative solutions to increase the safety of officers and residents.

The three new technologies are:

• star hunt– Technology that provides a means of tracking vehicles through the use of a projectile attached to a GPS-enabled device that can then be tracked remotely. This is a pilot program that, among other things, will be used to locate ghost cars (cars with stolen license plates that are used to commit other crimes in order to mitigate vehicle chases and ensure the safety of the public and officers).

• Digidog (“Spot”): Highly mobile, remote-controlled K-9 robot for assessing dangerous situations. “Instead of sending the police (into a dangerous situation), we will send the Digidog,” Adams said, adding that the device will be used to “defuse” situations. It will be used to assess high-risk situations and will “certainly save lives, both for law enforcement and the public,” the NYPD said. This device is not a pilot but will already be part of the technological tools available to the New York police. It will be used in hostage negotiations, counter-terrorism incidents and other situations as needed.

• K5 Autonomous Safety Robot (ASR)– A robot that will perform automated patrols in indoor and outdoor confined areas, such as transit stations. It uses artificial intelligence to provide real-time incident notifications to first responders. This technology is already being used by other police departments, shopping malls and college campuses, among other areas that require additional patrolling. This is a pilot program that the department hopes to launch this summer within the next six months, either in Times Square or at a subway station.

Office of the Mayor of New York

“To protect our modern city in a futuristic world, it’s critical that our officers are equipped with the tools, training and technology to do this job safely and effectively,” Sewell told a conference. press Tuesday morning in Times Square. . “Throughout its history, our department has taken advantage of the latest technology available and been one of the first to do its job.”

Sewell went on to assure the public “that the use of this technology will be transparent, consistent and always in collaboration with the people we serve.”

Meanwhile, Adams shared similar sentiments, saying in part, “I’m a computer geek and I believe the technology is out there. I think we shouldn’t be afraid of it and as the commissioner said: Transparency is the key.”

Adams said while the robotic “dog” had already been introduced in a previous administration, leaders backed down after public opposition. However, he said his main concern was public safety.

“The two pilots we’re implementing today to see how they fit into our public safety environment are paired with Digidog, a ‘robot dog’ that could be used to save lives,” Adams said. “It’s something that was introduced before, under the previous administration and some loud people objected and we took a step back, that’s not how I operate. I operate by looking for what is the better for the city.”

Opposition to the new technology’s implementation was swift when the Legal Aid Society released a statement in response to Adams and the NYPD’s announcement about the rollout of what the nonprofit organization has called “the new dystopian technologies for New Yorkers to watch”.

“Mayor Adams continues to pour money into the bloated New York City Police budget, allowing police to impose dystopian new surveillance technologies across the city without meaningfully engaging New Yorkers. Yorkers in a conversation to find out if so. how we want to live,” the Legal Aid Society statement read.

Although Adams and Sewell said the city would be transparent in its use of technology, the Legal Aid Society expressed concern.

“This announcement is also another example of the NYPD violating basic standards of transparency and accountability by implementing these technologies without giving the public a meaningful opportunity to raise concerns. El Concejo Municipal aprobó la Ley POST hace dos años para abordar este mismo problema, pero la policía de Nueva York una vez más no cumplió con sus requisitos de commentarios públicos antes de expir aún más la tecnología de vigilancia”, continued the declaration of the organization non-profit.

“The Legal Aid Society urges the City Council to hold an immediate monitoring hearing to further investigate the use of these technologies and give all New Yorkers the opportunity to have their voices heard.”

Meanwhile, Adams said the three tech devices announced on Tuesday are just the beginning of rolling out new forms of technology for use in public safety.

“This is the start of a series of publications we will be doing to show how public safety has transformed…if we weren’t willing to step up and use technology to keep cities safe, then we wouldn’t be aware of those who do harmful things to hurt New Yorkers,” Adams said.

“Our job is to fight crime and keep people safe, and these tools are important advancements in that vital mission,” Sewell said.