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If you happen to ride the subway at Times Square between midnight and 6am, prepare to see a different kind of cop patrolling the station.
On Friday, Mayor Eric Adams unveiled K5, a robot cop that weighs about 420 pounds and stands at about 5-foot-3, to monitor the area overnight as part of a pilot program taking place over the next two months, Gothamist reports.
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K5, which comes from California-based company Knightscope, has begun mapping out the subway station with the help of a human officer and will do so for the next two weeks before the pilot program officially starts, Adams said at Friday’s press conference.
Coming soon! In our effort to capitalize on emerging technology, & to maximize public safety in the subway system, you will soon see our newest rookie, officer K5, patrolling our transit system - offering you an additional layer of security & assistance. pic.twitter.com/FRTeVhGRlm
— NYPD Chief of Transit (@NYPDTransit) April 12, 2023
It’s being leased for $9 an hour, operates at a maximum speed of 3 miles per hour, has a 360-degree view to record only video, and will not use any facial recognition technology. It also has a button riders can press to connect with a person.
During this pilot program, don’t expect to see K5 on any train platforms. The robocop will only make rounds within the station’s mezzanine levels to serve as a “mobile camera” for subway riders, according to The New York Times.
Mayor Adams at the press conference said these robots will “serve as an important, innovative deterrent to crime so we can keep NYC the safest big city in America.”
New Yorkers have taken to social media to question the NYPD’s new portly pal:
“What shape should we use for the police robots NYers won’t like or tolerate?” ‘Hrmm, what about a dalek with the eyes of a cylon?” #NYPD #k5 #MTA #doctorwho #nightmarefuel https://t.co/VczKhrr0lR
— DeanWasabi ❤️💜💙💚 (@DeanWasabis) April 18, 2023
#K5 seems very redundant (mobile camera/info kiosk) vis a vis existing tech. a mobile robot cop - perfect target for kids w/ spray-paint.
— iowablackbird (@iowablackbird11) September 24, 2023
the robot will also have 2 human cops assisting it. a colossal waste of $$$. techporn for rich investors.https://t.co/hdNPrb8HNW
I’d appreciate and feel more confident with #K5, if he looked like….. pic.twitter.com/sb54krtPIO
— Blake Harris (@blakemharris) September 23, 2023
Journalists ask mayor what will happen if riders vandalize or destroy robot..
— SubalternSpeakz (@SubalternSpeakz) September 22, 2023
They reply it could b a felony. Instead of allocatg public $ to social protections, youth activities or human services-time tested interven that drive down crime-the City is deployg robots.#K5 #MTA https://t.co/LmgyQ2Pqpc
🚨NYPD Police Robot Start City Patrolling🤖 #k5 #robot #nypd #nypdrobot #newyork #policerobot #digidog #toilettimetv pic.twitter.com/mlaJ7f3fJO
— Toilet Time Tv (@toilettimetv) September 25, 2023