S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ShotSpotter Drones

The civil rights group warned that the program is yet another public relations stunt by Mayor Eric Adams that will not protect New Yorkers...

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ShotSpotter Drones (New York, NY, 11/13, 2024) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemned an announcement from Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon that they will be launching a “Drone as First Responder” program, including drones that will respond to ShotSpotter gunshot detection alerts. The civil rights group warned that the program is yet another public relations stunt by Mayor Eric Adams that will not protect New Yorkers, and condemned its partnership with the controversial, widely discredited gunshot detection vendor. SEE: Office of the Mayor - Mayor Adams, Interim Police Commissioner Donlon Announce 'Drone as First Responder' Program to Reduce Response Times and Keep New Yorkers Safe https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/827-24/mayor-adams-interim-police-commissioner-donlon-drone-first-responder-program-to#/0 The New York Times - Gunshot Detection System Wastes N.Y.P.D. Officers’ Time, Audit Finds https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/20/nyregion/nypd-shotspotter-guns.html “These drones will never get off the ground,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “This is just the latest example of the mayor prioritizing PR over public safety. These drones would be disturbing enough on their own, but pairing them with a discredited vendor like ShotSpotter is even worse. Recent reviews have found that the vast majority of ShotSpotter alerts are wild goose chases, sending the NYPD to the scenes of crimes that never happened. Sending robots chasing after phantom gunshots that are actually fireworks and car backfires is a privacy nightmare.” SEE: S.T.O.P. Blog – NYC is becoming a drone dystopia https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/4/9/nyc-is-becoming-a-drone-dystopia In August, S.T.O.P. warned Eric Adams’ launch of a drone alert system to warn New Yorkers of potential flash flooding “won’t hold water.” S.T.O.P. noted that a cell-phone alert system is both more effective at reaching New Yorkers and far less expensive than drone deployment. The civil rights group previously raised concerns over NYPD’s pilot of “public messaging” drones to broadcast audio alerts about extreme weather and other emergencies. SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Warns NYC Flood Alert Drone Stunt “Won’t Hold Water” https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/8/6/stop-warns-nyc-flood-alert-drone-stunt-wont-hold-water Press Release - S.T.O.P. Concerned By NYPD ‘Public Messaging’ Drones https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/7/17/stop-concerned-by-nypd-public-messaging-drones In 2022, S.T.O.P. released ShotSpotter and the Misfires of Gunshot Detection Technology, detailing how ShotSpotter’s error-prone software targets Black and Latinx neighborhoods, increasing the risk of police violence, and leaves levels of gun crime largely unchanged. SEE: Report - ShotSpotter and the Misfires of Gunshot Detection Technology https://www.stopspying.org/shotspotter The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn  Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.