Image via: NBC New York
In late September 2023, New York City’s mayor Eric Adams introduced a fully functioning security robot that will be placed in the subways. This robot is called the Knightscope K5 Security Robot and is being leased to the city for just $9 an hour. Its goal is to help the police patrol subways and catch any riders committing crimes. This robot will first be tested out in the Times Square Subway station, New York’s busiest station, as a way to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing crime.
This robot is made up of an advanced HD camera system with wheels so that it can travel around the subway and see what’s going on in its surroundings. The robot will be accompanied by police officers as it travels through the station by officers who know how to use it. The robot acts as a safety measure for the officer and rider, recording all interactions. Its video can be watched back in case of emergency so that anyone caught in the footage can be identified and prosecuted. It cannot record audio or automatically detect faces yet, however, as that technology for the robot is still being developed. It also has a button that riders can press to connect to a real worker in the city to answer any questions or take any crime reports a subway rider might have.
Many riders wonder what the point of this security robot is, since stations are already covered in security cameras and the fact that New York City has the largest police force in the country. According to NBC New York, the NYC Transit President stated, “This is a reminder that technology is watching folks.” The robot is highly visible to discourage crime in the subways and make sure people know they’re being monitored. Any damage done to the robot is also considered a crime and will get people identified and arrested. Though a small crime compared to others, the most notable crime found in subways is fare evasion, which is most likely what the robot will focus on decreasing. The robot will attempt to record any crime it can, however, so the tapes can eventually be reviewed and used as evidence.
The robot’s efficiency in assisting the police force and preventing crimes will be evaluated at the end of November, two months after its introduction to the subways. If it has worked, more of these robots will be developed and placed in more stations around New York City. If the robot isn’t found to be very efficient, the developers will see what needs to be done to enhance it and test it out once again. The mayor of New York and law enforcement believe this could be very impactful in keeping the subways safer.