06 February 2024 , 11:05
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A police robot introduced by the New York Police Department just a few months ago has been deactivated.
Just four months after introducing the K5 police robot the NYPD said its deployment to the 42nd Street subway station at Times Square has ended. The AI-backed security robot was first announced in April 2023 by Mayor Eric Adams as part of attempts to combat rising crime rates in New York City.
The mayor described the robot as "a good investment" at a press conference in September, calling it "part of the fabric" of subway safety in the future.
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The egg-shaped police bot weighs 420 pounds, stands 5 foot 3 inches tall and cost $12,500. Its deployment has now ended, the NYPD have stated.
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“The K5 Knightscope has completed its pilot in the NYC subway system,” a spokesman for the NYPD told The New York Times which shared pictures of the robot parked out of the way in the station gathering dust.
The huge machine has attracted the ire of New York subway users (NY Daily News via Getty Images)The robot was paid for with forfeiture funds and cost the city just $9 per hour, Adams said. "This is below minimum wage. No bathroom breaks. No meal breaks," he announced when he first unveiled the robot.
A California-based company, Knightscope, had been leasing the robot to the city for a seven month trial program. The first three months of this period saw the bot being prepared for its duties and the remaining four months allowed the NTPD to test it out.
The K5 robot had a button that a member of the public could press if they needed to contact the NYPD as well as a camera that could record video.
Members of the public and commuters told the New York Post that they thought the robot was a waste of money and resources.
“I think the robot is just to scare people," Alexandria Reese said.
"We need police – not robots," MTA employee Nick Linnear said.
Others were more forthright in their opinions. "It's bulls**t. Straight bulls**t. It's a waste of taxpayer money," New York City native Joseph William said.
“Can they apprehend someone? Can they save someone who falls on the tracks? I wonder where the money goes,” Queens resident Rafael Escotto questioned.
The Mirror has contacted the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams for comment.
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