New York City Mayor Eric Adams has just introduced the New York Police Department’s newest member of the force.
In a press conference, Mayor Adams revealed the NYPD will use the K5 robot to patrol its subway stations in Times Square.
Adams stated “The K5 will operate between midnight and 6 a.m. at the Times Square subway station for two months. For the duration of the trial, it will be accompanied by a police officer at all times.”
The robot will eventually patrol the subway station on its own.
NYC mayor Eric Adams introduces new robot that will patrol the Times Square subway station
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 22, 2023
Per ABC 7 New York:
The newest member of the NYPD weighs 400 pounds, gets paid $9 an hour and works midnights without a single complaint. And transit commanders couldn’t be happier.
K5 is a robot that will patrol the Times Square subway station in the overnight hours. It’s equipped with multiple cameras and two-way communication and intended to deter crime and to capture crimes in progress.
ADVERTISEMENTAnd it is equipped with a panic button that riders can use to alert patrol officers.
“We are taking an expensive camera network in the subway system and adding to it- supplementing to it, if you will- and adding a series of cameras that not only moves but a device that can connect subway riders to immediate assistance if the need arises,” said NYPD Transit Division Chief Michael Kemper.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) attempts to make a heart sign with the NYPD’s new “K5 Autonomous Security Robot,” which has no hands or arms to complete the gesture but will soon patrol the Times Square subway station. pic.twitter.com/LVY6SUqzqD
— The Recount (@therecount) September 22, 2023
CBS News had these details to add:
New York City is testing technology it hopes will help prevent crime on the subway.
The city is leasing a K5 Knightscope Security Robot, which weighs 420 lbs. and costs $9 per hour.
The robot can record video in case of an emergency or crime, but it does not record audio.
The robot also has a button that can connect subway riders with questions or concerns to a live agent.
“The K5 will operate between midnight and 6 a.m. at the Times Square subway station for two months. For the duration of trial it will be accompanied by a police officer at all times. For the first two weeks, it will be trained to map out the station. It will move around the main station area and not on the platform,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
If the city continues using the robot after the trial, it would not have officers with it.
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Many people believe the robot will fail once it’s no longer babysat.
🤣🤡😆 pic.twitter.com/KqqczAB8V9
— Joni Job (@jj_talking) September 22, 2023
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