The newest member of the NYPD weighs 400 pounds, gets paid $9 an hour and works midnights without a single complaint. And transit commanders couldn’t be happier.
K5 is a robot that will patrol the Times Square subway station in the overnight hours. It’s equipped with multiple cameras and two-way communication and intended to deter crime and to capture crimes in progress.
And it is equipped with a panic button that riders can use to alert patrol officers.
The number of daily subway riders now tops four million–the highest number since the pandemic.
Crime underground is trending lower but the number of violent assaults is still more than 50% higher than it was four years ago.
The NYPD is ramping up its use of robotics– from dogs to drones to tracking devices and now robots.
K5 is being leased from Knightscope, its manufacturer. It has facial recognition capabilities and listening devices-but Mayor Eric Adams insists neither will be activated.
K5 will be accompanied by a uniformed police officer for the first two months of a pilot program-mainly to answer questions from curious riders.
A solo deployment is planned just in time for the holiday tourist season.