Rise of the machines.
The NYPD is rolling out a fleet of crime-fighting robots dubbed “snitchBOTs” that will patrol city subways and streets.
“The Terminator”-esque tech is one of three new pieces of futuristic equipment that the NYPD has already started to pilot to help with policing, said Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Mayor Eric Adams at a Tuesday press conference.
“We cannot be afraid of [the technology],” Adams said.
“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.”
In addition to a four-legged “Digi-dog” that made it on the force a few weeks, cops are adding the K5 Autonomous Security Robot — an egg-shaped bot produced by Knightscope that can detect people during restricted hours and is equipped with more than a dozen microphones and a 360-degree HD camera, as well as sonar and lidar sensors.
It also has a license-plate reader.
The bot — about 5.5 feet high and 400 pounds — travels at a max speed of 3 mph.
“To safeguard our modern city and a forward-looking world, it is essential that our officers are equipped with the tools, training and technology necessary to do that job safely and effectively,” Sewell said, adding, “In the case of the NYPD, this has been true for nearly two centuries.
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“We have maximized public and officer safety through emerging technology, and that approach continues today,” Sewell said. “But we know that technology is just a tool, and it is only as effective as the person or people using it.”
The K5 bot is “intended for outdoor use running 24/7 on its own, including autonomously recharging itself without any human intervention,” according to the Knighscope website.
“[It] is best suited for securing large, outdoor spaces through the winters of the Northeast and the summers of the South” but also can be used indoors, the manufacturer said.
The robot was rolled out a few weeks at Lowes locations in Philadelphia — where the locals have already dubbed it “snitchBOT,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The fleet of police robots will also see the return of Boston Dynamic “Digi-dog,” which was last used by the NYPD in 2021 but was quickly returned when the public started comparing its use to a “Black Mirror” episode.
A police spokesman said at the time that the contract was terminated after weeks of blowback from the City Council and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
In addition to the robots, the NYPD will be equipped with StarChase — a GPS device that allows cops to affix the tech to a car and track it remotely.
Police sources say the tech was already used this past weekend, but questions about its use to the company were not returned Monday.
