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New York Police Deploy Advanced Surveillance Robot in Public Housing Complex

HeadlineApr 15, 2021

The New York Police Department is under fire after officers were spotted once again deploying a high-tech surveillance robot — this time during an arrest at a Manhattan public housing complex. On Monday, a bystander filmed as members of NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit escorted a four-legged robot studded with sensors, lights and cameras out of a high-rise apartment. The robot, produced by Boston Dynamics, is as large as a medium-sized dog and can navigate autonomously. New York Congressmember Jamaal Bowman blasted the city’s use of police robots in a video posted on Twitter.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman: “Now not only do I feel physically occupied in my community by too many police, now y’all bringing robot police to occupy my community? So, you can’t give me a living wage. You can’t raise the minimum wage. You can’t give me affordable housing. I’m working hard. I can’t get paid leave. I can’t get affordable child care. Instead, we got money, taxpayer money, going towards robot police dogs.”

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