S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ‘Cartoon Cop’ Drones

S.T.O.P. condemned NYPD’s plan to launch drones that fire mesh nets to catch “hostile drones” midair and then parachute them down to the ground.

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD ‘Cartoon Cop’ Drones (New York, NY 7/2/2025) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemned NYPD’s plan to launch drones that fire mesh nets to catch “hostile drones” midair and then parachute them down to the ground. Developed by American Robotics, the drones cost nearly $200K each and capture video footage. S.T.O.P. condemned the “cartoon cop” drones as another costly PR stunt by the Adams administration that will expand surveillance at protests and other sensitive sites. SEE: The New York Post - NYC eyes system using net-firing drones to entangle and take down ‘hostile’ drones https://nypost.com/2025/06/28/us-news/drone-city-were-using-them-all-over-the-place/ “These drones are a net negative for the city,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Communications Director Will Owen. “New Yorkers deserve real safety, not cartoon cop drones straight out of Looney Tunes. Wasting public dollars to invade our privacy is a dangerous police stunt, putting our rights to free speech and protest at risk. Rather than investing in evidence-based ways to protect community safety, Adams and his team continue to read too many Tom Clancy novels. How many more millions do we have to waste on absurd spyware before we realize it won’t work?” S.T.O.P. also noted that the announcement was being made without any public notice as required by the POST Act, potentially violating the landmark surveillance oversight ordinance passed in 2020 and its amendments passed earlier this year. In 2023, the civil rights group condemned Adam’s launch of “knockoff Robocop” police drones and other technologies. The statement followed the Mayor’s Times Square launch of several new policing technologies, including Knightscope K5 surveillance drones, Boston Robotics’ Digidog, and Starchase GPS tracking devices.  SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Celebrates NYC Passage Of POST Act Amendments Closing NYPD Surveillance Loopholes https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2025/4/10/post-act-amendments?rq=post%20act%20amendments Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD’s ‘Knockoff Robocop’ Police Drones https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/4/11/stop-condemns-nypds-knockoff-robocop-police-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.   -- END -- Copyright © 2025 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.