In an effort to combat crime, two robotic dogs called Digidogs have rejoined the New York Police Department (NYPD) after a hiatus of almost two years. On Tuesday, April 11, city officials held a press conference announcing the plans and the specific details.
“To safeguard our modern city in 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,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said. “In the case of the NYPD, this has been true for nearly two centuries.”
Digidogs will assist the NYPD in high-risk situations and locations. City officials hope that they will save the lives of both the police and residents during hazardous events. The robodogs will be remote-controlled by officers within the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU), a specialized unit providing technical help to the bureaus within the department. It will also aid the Emergency Services Unit (ESU) in counterterrorism efforts and hostage negotiations, for example. However, Digidogs will only be utilized when Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey sees fit.
“The prior administration didn’t have a man that was a computer geek, and that was willing to go where others are not willing to go to keep the city safe,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “I made it clear on the campaign trail. I am going to use technology with transparency to keep this city safe, and others…just weren’t willing to do that, and I am.”
Digidog is not new to the city. Nearly two years ago, the NYPD succumbed to public backlash and halted its use of the technology. Some city residents perceived the robodogs as creepy and threatening to their privacy, citing that the technology could be a police surveillance device.
“Well, first, this is New York: 8.5 million people, 35 million opinions. So, no matter what you do, there are going to be pros and cons,” Adams responded when asked what this rollout is doing differently to alleviate people’s distrust in the device. “We are doing what others didn’t do. We are putting it right here in Times Square. We’re allowing people to come in and look at a Digidog…we’re going to bring in community leaders and say here’s the technology we have. Would you like this in your community? Allow them to talk about it, hear about it, share their ideas.”
However, even with this clarification, the robodog is eliciting the same concerns among city residents. In addition, some individuals also believe these technological advancements are a waste of money, as resources could be allocated for other purposes, such as construction. The Digidogs created by robotics company Boston Dynamics cost about $750,000 for both. This leaves some suspicious, as this announcement comes only a week after Adams requested that his agencies cut their budgets by 4% for the next fiscal year, according to the New York Times.
With criticism quickly growing amongst the public, it appears likely that Digidog may become shut down again to preserve the mayor and the NYPD’s reputation.
