The New York Police Department is urging the Trump administration to grant it authority to disable drones over the nation's largest city, warning that the rapidly evolving technology poses a growing public safety threat.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department can detect drones in city airspace but lacks the legal authority to electronically disable them.
"If there is one threat that keeps me up at night, it is drones," Tisch said Tuesday in her annual State of the NYPD address in Manhattan, The New York Times reported.
"We expect to receive that authority from the White House this year, which we have long advocated for," she added.
Her comments came as federal authorities temporarily shut down airspace around El Paso, Texas, amid concerns about drone activity. U.S. officials initially described the situation as an incursion involving drones piloted by Mexican cartels.
Administration officials later indicated, however, that the shutdown was tied to the Department of War's testing of new counter-drone technology and concerns about potential risks to other aircraft.
The episode underscored what many officials say is a growing vulnerability in U.S. airspace as cheaper, commercially available drones become more accessible to criminal groups, foreign adversaries, and even lone actors.
Tisch said the NYPD has already invested millions of dollars in equipment and training to address drone threats and stands ready to act once federal approval is granted. The department would begin mitigation operations "as soon as we are legally allowed to do so," she said.
Under current law, the Federal Aviation Administration controls U.S. airspace, and only certain federal agencies have the authority to disable or seize unauthorized drones.
Local law enforcement agencies such as the NYPD are largely restricted to monitoring activity and coordinating with federal partners.
The commissioner warned that modern conflicts overseas — particularly in Ukraine — have demonstrated how inexpensive drones can be utilized with devastating effect.
"Modern conflict is reshaping the tools that can be used in cities like ours," Tisch said. "Tactics that once belonged to militaries are now increasingly accessible to smaller groups, and individuals and commercial drones can be easily adapted into weapons of war."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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