The New York police department has announced that they will monitor backyard private parties with drones. People celebrating the Labor Day with outdoor parties or barbecues will be monitored with unmanned surveillance drones.
Why is NYPD Monitoring Parties?
While the police department has not clarified why they are doing so, it seems like the provocation stems from safety concerns. The NYPD’s Intelligence Division has constantly been using drone technology on Muslim communities in New York city and beyond.
A 2003 document accused the NYPD of intense surveillance of Muslim gatherings, mosques, Islamic ceremonies, student organizations etc.
Policy Criticized
The NYPD’s policy has been strictly criticized by the civil rights organization across the city. They argued that the policy directly contradicts New Yorkers’ right to peaceful private gatherings without being seen as a threat.
Daniel Schwarz from the New York Civil Liberties Union said using drones to spy on neighborhoods is “racialized discrimination and it doesn’t make us safer.”
