Yonkers, NY Police Department Launches Groundbreaking Drone as a First Responder Pilot Program
The short version: Yonkers PD's own promo video unveils a 60-day Drone as First Responder pilot with Motorola and Flying Lion, expanding real-time aerial surveillance with little public input.
Our Take
Straight from the source: the Yonkers Police Department's YouTube channel is out here marketing its new Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program like it's a ribbon-cutting for a new library branch. Partnered with Motorola Solutions — the same company that owns Flock Safety — and a couple of drone contractors, Yonkers is rolling out a 60-day pilot that puts police-dispatched drones over the city in response to 911 calls. That's a big leap from a patrol car showing up; it's a flying camera launched automatically, often before an officer even arrives, feeding live video back to a command center.
The pitch is always the same: efficiency, officer safety, faster response. What's missing from the press-release tone of this video is any real discussion of retention policies, who can access the footage, whether it's shared with other agencies or federal databases, and what happens after the 'pilot' quietly becomes permanent policy — which is exactly the pattern we've watched play out with Flock ALPR cameras nationwide. A 60-day trial with a corporate partner already embedded in the surveillance-industrial complex is not a neutral experiment; it's a soft launch.
Westchester County residents should be asking their city council these questions now, not after the contract renews itself. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your neighborhood, and use our take-action resources to push back before drones become just another permanent fixture in the sky.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Yonkers Police Department, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.