(Image credit: Anthony Quintano via Wikipedia)
2018 is coming to a close in a few hours, with the start of the new year being ushered in by party-goers everywhere. One of the most populated areas for celebrating the New Year is in Times Square, where thousands have gathered since 1907 to watch the famous ball drop. As you could imagine, security is a big concern for the event, and the NYPD will be out in force to make sure nobody gets hurt during the festivities. While the police have multiple tools in their arsenal to accomplish that goal, this year will see the introduction of a camera-equipped drone, along with airplanes and helicopters, to keep an eye on things.
Earlier this month, the NYPD unveiled a new unmanned system program, which is comprised of the NYPD’s Tactical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) and their arsenal of DJI drones that can be tasked for everything from search and rescue to hostage situations. The Unit is currently outfitted with three different DJI models- the Inspire 1 (for training and testing), the Mavic Pro (for tactical operations), and the M210 RTK (for 3D mapping and search and rescue operations).
DJI’s M210 RTK drone can be outfitted with different payloads depending on the application. (Image credit: DJI)
While the NYPD didn’t provide any details to which drone will be deployed at this year’s event, it’s a good bet they will field the M210 RTK, as it’s equipped with a 30X Zenmuse Z30 zoom camera and XT thermal imager. The NYPD will also deploy anti-drone technology, which will block other UAVs from flying in the area.
Thousands of NYPD’s finest and other federal agents will be on hand for any emergency that may arise during the celebration, and chances are, it will come off without a hitch. Regardless, stay safe everybody, and have a Happy New Year!
Happy NYE!
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