S.T.O.P. Condemns Reboot Of NYPD Robot

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For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns Reboot Of NYPD Robot (New York, NY 2/20/24) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns Eric Adams announcement that he has “another plan” for the K5 robot that briefly patrolled the Times Square subway station last year for the NYPD. Designed by Knightscope, the drone was launched as a pilot program in September that folded earlier this month. The civil rights group condemned the K5 as a “hunk of junk” and waste of taxpayer dollars. SEE: Forbes Breaking News - JUST IN: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Holds Press Briefing Amidst Questions About Migrant Debit Cards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-BzAt84Zm0 “This hunk of junk will do exactly as much good for New Yorkers out on the streets as it does in a broom closet,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. This experiment has proved just how much money these robots waste, and how little we get in return. As crucial city projects face budget cuts, it’s indefensible that that Mayor would consider throwing good money after bad. For months, K5 has shown has the NYPD can use technology to create a cutting edge traffic jam, blocking the already crowded halls of the Times Square Station, but it never stopped a single crime, never kept one person safe.” Earlier this month, S.T.O.P. welcomed the end of the pilot program for the Times Square subway station’s K5 robot. The New York Times reported that the robot was removed from the Times Square station due to its general uselessness and “exiled in a vacant storefront.” After the pilot program’s initial launch, S.T.O.P. condemned the Times Square robot as a “trashcan on wheels,” warning that its footage may be fed into existing facial recognition systems. SEE: The New York Times - Goodbye for Now to the Robot That (Sort Of) Patrolled New York’s Subway https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/02/nyregion/nypd-subway-robot-retires.html The New York Times - 400-Pound N.Y.P.D. Robot Gets Tryout in Times Square Subway Station https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/nyregion/police-robot-times-square-nyc.html 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.