In an era where threats no longer come solely from alleyways, subway platforms and streets, the New York Police Department’s Counterterrorism Division is enlisting new technology—DroneAware—to monitor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the city’s skies.
“For security and law enforcement professionals, situational awareness is a cornerstone of security preparedness,” stated Sentinel Consulting LLC, the company that developed DroneAware technology. “Threats cannot be addressed without first knowing where to look for them. With an alarming increase in frequency, the place to look is up.”
Sentinel Consulting, a technology-based security management firm based in Woodcliff, New Jersey, added, “Today, situational awareness is incomplete without drone awareness.” The company has a long-standing relationship with the NYPD, having helped it integrate advanced video surveillance and biometric systems into its crime-fighting toolbox.
The Federal Aviation Administration has registered more than 1 million commercial and recreational drones—a number that continues to rise.
“While the vast majority will pose no security threat, in the wrong hands, drones can be a nefarious tool for bad actors intent on violating privacy or, worse, causing harm,” according to Sentinel Consulting. “Small and discreet, they can be used to spy on operations, initiate a cyberbreach or drop payloads—including explosives, radiological or chemical weapons.”
DroneAware uses radio frequencies, cameras and radar to identify and track drones. Along with the technology comes education and training. Experts at Sentinel Consulting teach police officers how to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities and risks. DroneAware does not have any interdiction capability, but supplements existing drone-monitoring tools already used by the NYPD.
In an April 2021 “Impact and Use Policy” published by the department, the NYPD outlined the drone-monitoring program and why it is critical for law enforcement.
“The growing popularity of consumer unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, poses potential safety and security challenges at large-scale gatherings and events in New York City,” the report stated. “Traditional security and observation methods may not adequately detect unlawful operations of UAS, leaving these sites vulnerable to consequential incidents. The New York City Police Department uses drone detection systems to detect, identify and monitor UAS flying within New York City airspace posing a credible threat to public safety, city facilities and critical infrastructure.”
The department uses drone detection systems at large-scale events in New York City, including parades, sporting events, street celebrations (such as Times Square on New Year’s Eve) and other large gatherings. The technology is commonly used in cooperation with other federal law enforcement agencies that are also charged with monitoring such events.
The New York Police Department has more than 36,000 uniformed officers, most of whom patrol the city’s five boroughs with a focus on street-level criminal activity. In a city of approximately 8.3 million people, covering more than 300 square miles, that’s enough to keep any beat officer busy—without the added task of monitoring what’s buzzing overhead.
Drones are not unfamiliar to the NYPD. The department operates a fleet of its own and has more than 110 certified drone pilots. In fact, the NYPD may have one of the most robust drone programs of any law enforcement agency in the world.
The department launched its Unmanned Aircraft Systems program in December 2018. Then-Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said, “As the largest municipal police department in the United States, the NYPD must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology. Our new UAS program is part of this evolution—it enables our highly trained cops to be even more responsive to the people we serve, and to carry out the NYPD’s critical work in ways that are more effective, efficient and safe for everyone.”
The NYPD has been prolific in deploying drones. It recorded an average of almost 12 drone flights per day in 2024, up dramatically from fewer than two flights per day in 2023, according to department statistics. The department uses drones for a variety of operations, including search and rescue missions and monitoring traffic and crowds at major events.
There are 11 categories the NYPD tracks for drone deployment, with most falling under “drone as a first responder.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed multiple lawsuits on behalf of the public in response to the growing use of surveillance technology. While there are FAA guidelines on drone usage and monitoring equipment such as surveillance cameras, the appropriate level of monitoring required to ensure public safety remains a matter of public debate.
In New York City, several City Council members have introduced legislation that would require the NYPD to publish or produce reports on how it uses surveillance technology.
