Drones May Soon Be Deployed To Enforce NYC Trash Rules
NYC has done many things in its war to keep our streets clean–new trash rules were proposed back in October 2022 to curb the “all-you-can-eat rat buffet,” a rule went into effect in March 2024 mandating all NYC businesses to put their trash in secured containers, and new side-loading garbage trucks were introduced to make trash pickup a more seamless process.
But as thousands risk facing penalty fees for non-compliance with all city’s new trash rules, NYC’s sanitation department is considering introducing drones to its war on trash.
Joshua Goodman, spokesperson for the sanitation department, confirmed that the agency is exploring the use of drones to enforce the city’s trash rules by seeking out illegal dumping or trash placed out on sidewalks earlier than allowed (8 pm). Goodman stated:
How does it feel when there’s trash on the same street every single day?…Wouldn’t it be great if there was somebody holding people accountable who are hurting your quality of life, saying to them, ‘no, you don’t get away with dirtying these neighborhoods.’
An unnamed DSNY spokesperson told The Post, however, “This is extremely preliminary – really just in the early planning stages.”
This wouldn’t be the first time drones would be flying around NYC–the FDNY has used drones for years, and according to a report documenting the NYPD’s recent drone operations, the Department deployed drones on 3,810 instances between 2019 through the third quarter of 2024, with 2,871 of the deployments occurring in 2024 alone. Drones are also used to monitor shark activity near NY beaches.
There are, however, civil liberties concerns about the drones serving as “omnipresent eyes in the sky.” The Post writes that when asked about potential safeguards pertaining to residents’ privacy, the DSNY spokesperson noted “it’s really just too soon to tell.”
DSNY already has 200+ surveillance cameras in use catching illegal trash dumpers–last year, the department issued $1.5 million in fines. So the implementation of drones as well isn’t too far fetched of an idea. Beyond catching trash rule evaders, Goodman noted the sanitation department is also debating the use of drones for snowplowing and performing inspections of the department’s vehicles and infrastructure.
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