During the 2018 New Year’s Eve celebration the NYPD will deploy their new drone fleet as part of their security measures. The largest department in the United States with 36,000 officers the department started their drone program earlier this month. It will incorporate the units into their Technical Assistance Response Unit.

“This cutting-edge technology joins a long list of tools at the NYPD’s disposal during emergencies,” said NYPD Chief Terence Monahan. The Department has 14 drones, 11 are DJI Mavic Pros, two are DJI M210 RTKs, and one DJI Inspire 1.

Utilizing drones during the New Year’s event is a first. The overhead flights will enhance the 1200 other cameras placed throughout the city over New Years. The plan is tether the drones to a building which will prevent them from falling on the crowd which is expected to be 2 million people. Certain tethers allow drones to fly for an unlimited amount of time without needing to land and change batteries. For parades and large-scale events like the New Year’s Eve event in New York, the tether will allow the public safety professionals maintain a constant common operational picture from the air.