00:00RoboCop may have taken place in Detroit, but the future of policing just landed on Long Island.
00:05Just outside New York City, Nassau County, New York, is rolling out a new $1 million
00:08fleet of drone first responders that can arrive at emergency scenes before human officers do.
00:14That is not something I personally find all that comforting. The county has deployed 70
00:20drones operated by FAA-certified officers at eight locations with the goal of getting eyes
00:24in the sky in less than a minute, because the FAA hasn't had any issues lately. Now, the drones
00:30can fly for about 30 minutes, reach altitudes of 200 feet, and are powerful enough to zoom in on a
00:35license plate. They're also equipped with thermal imaging and night vision cameras, allowing police
00:39to track suspects, survey active shooter scenes, or assess dangerous situations before officers move
00:45in. That sounds kind of helpful, but if you're worried, it also sounds a little too much like
00:49Big Brother, because why wouldn't you? County officials say, don't be too worried. Police
00:54Commissioner Patrick Ryder insists the drones won't be spying on you. Quote, the drones are not
01:00patrolling your backyard. They're patrolling areas of concern, like a cop does. Sure, I wasn't even
01:06thinking backyard until you said it, guy. And here's one last twist. The $1 million program isn't being
01:12paid for by taxpayers. It's being funded with money the county seizes from criminals.
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