- The NYPD's robotic dogs are "out of the pound" again, mayor Eric Adams announced earlier this week.
- The robots, known as "Digidogs," will be deployed to handle dangerous situations like bomb threats.
The New York Police Department's robotic dogs are once again "out of the pound," according to Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams announced during a press conference earlier this week that the city spent $750,000 on two robotic canines the NYPD calls "Digidogs. " The remote-controlled dogs can climb stairs with their four-legs and include cameras and microphones that can record live pictures and sound, according to CBS.
Mayor Adams — a former NYPD captain best known for his tough-on-crime policies — said the robot dogs will be deployed during life-threatening situations such as bomb threats and hostages, as well as during inspections of hazardous waste sites. He said the dogs can "save lives" in situations where "you can't have police officers going inside because it's dangerous."
Still, Adams said the NYPD will "bring in community leaders" and ask if they would like to use the robots in their own communities.
—NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 11, 2023
The announcement comes just two years after the NYPD halted an experiment with the robotic dogs.
In 2020, the NYPD deployed the technology when dealing with an alleged gunman holed up in an apartment, the New York Post reported. A year later, the NYPD ended their $94,000 contract with the robot dog creator Boston Dynamics after receiving fierce backlash from lawmakers and privacy groups over its potential for increased surveillance and police militarization.
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for NYC's Mayor's office, told Insider that Adams is "a big believer in technology" and that "these technologies are not going to be intrusive." "We want to use technology, not abuse technology," Levy said.
The NYPD and Boston Dynamics didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication.
Bill de Blasio, New York's former mayor, said he was "glad the Digidog was put down" and that "it's creepy, alienating, and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers," a spokesperson told the New York Times in 2021.
But Adams argued these concerns came from a vocal minority who are missing the bigger picture.
"A few loud people were opposed to it, and we took a step back — that is not how I operate," Adams said. "I operate on looking at what's best for the city."
Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, isn't convinced. "The NYPD is turning bad science fiction into terrible policing," Cahn told the Wall Street Journal in a statement.
While critics like Cahn believe that the city "should use its resources in more proven ways," Adams calls his plans "an investment in our public safety."
Referring to an incident in Dallas where a robot was used to disarm a bomb, Adams said a Digidog is going to "give us additional time to work." That way, the NYPD can "make a better plan," "do a better assessment," and "get the right resources to help the person" during moments of crisis, he said.
In addition to the robot dogs, the NYPD will begin testing the StarChase pilot, a device that shoots a GPS-tracker to a stolen car, and the K5 ASR, an outdoor security robot, Adams said during the press conference.
"I believe that technology is here; we cannot be afraid of it," he said.