The New York City Police Department is testing new drones that are designed to transmit audio messages to the public, such as announcements warning of dangerous weather or nearby emergencies. On Sunday, NYC’s emergency notification system announced on Twitter that the NYPD would be “conducting a test of remote-piloted public messaging capabilities” that day, following several weeks of heavy rain and rare flash flood warnings impacting the city.
A police spokesperson later confirmed to AM New York that these tests took place at Hook Creek Park in Queens, ahead of further downpours expected to hit the city this week, but refused to share the results of its test with the publication. One example of how these audio drones may be utilized is…
