Mayor Adams, NYPD officials tour Israel’s National Police Academy to review drone technology
Aug. 23, 2023, 5:56 p.m.
“One thing that really caught my eye was utilizing motorcycles and drones together,” Adams said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams toured Israel's National Police Academy on Wednesday during his three-day trip to the country, and praised drone technology that he said could make its way to the NYPD.
The mayor touted how Israeli drones, which can stay in the air longer, could also assist in the “early detection” of crimes. He also suggested if NYPD officers rode motorcycles paired with advanced drones, police could respond to emergencies more quickly without getting stuck in traffic.
“One thing that really caught my eye was utilizing motorcycles and drones together,” Adams told reporters on Wednesday from the facility in the city of Beit Shemesh.
The NYPD has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on drones this year, and has used the aerial devices more in the first 15 months of the Adams administration than the last 15 months of his predecessor Bill de Blasio’s tenure, as first reported by the New York Post.
Several trusted NYPD leaders joined the mayor on his trip to Israel; among them were Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry and First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella.
Adams’ visit — one of several trips abroad since taking office — made him the latest in a long list of local politicians who have journeyed to Israel while on the job. His excursion is funded by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
Adams also visited Qatar in December and China in 2014 while he served as Brooklyn borough president.
The NYPD has a documented history of spying outside of its jurisdiction, nationally and abroad. The department opened a branch in the Israeli city of Kefar Sava 11 years ago, led by longtime NYPD detective Charlie Ben-Naim.
Adams said in a press conference on Wednesday that the Israeli security technology he reviewed “specifically takes aim at balancing public safety and justice.”
“All of us are united in our determination to continue to protect public safety here and at home, while we ensure to protect the democratic rights of our citizens,” he said.
Adams did not go into further detail about the Israeli technology he reviewed on Wednesday when asked by a reporter.
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