2023-09-23 14:04:00
Mayor Eric Adams hopes that the mechanical police officer will help fight crime in the Big Apple. (Twitter: @NYCMayor)
New York promises to revolutionize public security and they are betting on ‘K5’, a police robot considered a valuable tool that promises to ensure compliance with the laws in the subway station in Times Square, the busiest underground location in the city.
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Weighing more than 180 kilos and approximately 1.63 meters tall, the police officer of the future was presented by Mayor Eric Adams, who, together with representatives of the New York Police Department (NYPD), are confident that the results will benefit the Greater Apple.
This mechanical giant was manufactured by Knightscope, which describes it as a “fully autonomous outdoor security robot.” To date, these types of models have worked in airports, casinos, hospitals and shopping centers.
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The task of guarding the Times Square subway station is a new challenge for ‘K5’, but the mechanized entity has characteristics that will support it in its mission. The robot has four cameras, with which it can record videos in high definition and with a 360-degree angle, which will help combat crimes. In addition, it has a button to ask for help, which following being pressed will emit a series of alert sounds, in addition to connecting to the metro’s Wi-Fi network.
However, it was reported that it will not use facial recognition and will not record audio, although it will be accompanied by an NYPD agent during the shift from midnight to 6 in the morning.
Adams specified the arrival of ‘K5’ as an economical option, since its rental cost is approximately $9 per hour. Previously, the mayor of New York had asked city agencies to reduce 5% of their budgets. “(The investment in the robot) is below the minimum wage. There are no breaks to go to the bathroom or to eat,” declared the authority.
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Likewise, Richard A. Davey, president of New York City Transit, stated that 4 million passengers used the Times Square subway every day from Tuesday to Thursday, a weekly record in more than 3 years, indicating a reactivation of transit in the area, following the pandemic era. For this reason, the mayor maintains that using technology to enforce the law is an optimal alternative to fulfill his promise to reduce crime in the Big Apple.
Privacy rights advocates in New York remain resistant to the implementation of the police robot and the measures applied by Adams, ensuring that it is disconnected from reality in the city.
In May, the Legal Aid Society asked the NYPD’s inspector general to investigate the use of surveillance technology, saying it violated the Surveillance Technology Public Oversight Act, an executive order that mandates exposure of how they use the technologies. and what type of data they collect.
Albert Fox Cahn, president of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, expressed his fear that ‘K5’ will eventually employ facial recognition technology on citizens.
“If the mayor thinks there aren’t enough cameras in Times Square, then he’s more out of touch than he thought. It’s more of a surveillance theater,” Cahn said.
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