For Immediate Release
S.T.O.P. Report Details Vast Expansion of NYPD Drone Program
(New York, NY, 11/20/2025) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, released Don’t Look Up: NYPD Drones Take Flight, a report detailing the vast expansion of NYPD’s drone program. The report shows that NYPD drone use skyrocketed 3,200% from 2022 to 2024, with NYPD rapidly deploying more unmanned aircraft for routine patrols instead of only in emergencies. The report comes after NYPD deployed drones to hover over “No Kings” protests in June and October this year. S.T.O.P. calls on New York State to pass two bills to halt NYPD’s wide-ranging and secretive use of drones, including the Protect Our Privacy “Pop” Act to ban police drone use beyond search and rescue and natural disaster response and NYS Senate Bill S3049 to ban armed drones.
SEE: S.T.O.P. Report – Don’t Look Up: NYPD Drones Take Flight
https://www.stopspying.org/drones-report
New York State Senate - S4162
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S4162
New York State Senate - S3049
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3049
Drone XL - No Kings, No Parachutes, No Problem?! NYPD Flies Skydio Drones Directly Over NYC Protest Crowds
https://dronexl.co/2025/10/18/no-kings-no-parachutes-nypd-skydio-drones/
“The NYPD’s drone program has become exactly what the department promised it wouldn’t,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Research Director Eleni Manis. “Routine patrols watch New Yorkers’ every move, from protests to picnics. Questionably trained officers operate drones in overcrowded skies. One crash already set a precinct on fire. New Yorkers didn’t consent to this experiment—we shouldn’t have to duck and cover.”
“Over the past four years, Eric Adams has wasted our tax dollars on every new drone gadget flown his way,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Michelle Dahl. “We’re calling on the incoming mayoral administration and Albany to finally ground this operation. New York must stop squandering public funding on surveillance solutionism and instead invest in our communities to help them thrive.”
Key Findings Include:
- The NYPD’s drone program has rapidly morphed into a sprawling surveillance operation, with officers routinely patrolling the city.
- Drones threaten New Yorkers’ safety as well as their privacy.
- The NYPD currently operates its drone program with little oversight and few limits. It has even announced a plan to coopt civilian city agencies’ drone footage.
SEE: S.T.O.P. Research Blog - NYC is Becoming a Drone Dystopia
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/4/9/nyc-is-becoming-a-drone-dystopia?rq=drone
Throughout Eric Adams’ tenure as mayor, S.T.O.P. has condemned the sharp increase in NYPD drone use. Adams has embraced drones for wide-ranging use in the city, including as “first responders” to ShotSpotter gunshot detection alerts, police robots in the Times Square subway station, and other concerning contexts.
SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ShotSpotter Drones
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/11/13/stop-condemns-nypd-shotspotter-drones?rq=drone
Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD’s Times Sq. Drone
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/9/22/stop-condemns-nypds-times-sq-drone?rq=drone
Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ‘Cartoon Cop’ Drones
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2025/7/2/stop-condemns-nypd-cartoon-cop-drones?rq=drone
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.
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