NEW YORK (AP) — Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone.

The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.

“If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference.

The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance

“It’s a troubling announcement and it flies in the face of the POST Act,” said Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, referring to a 2020 city law that requires the NYPD to disclose its surveillance tactics. “Deploying drones in this way is a sci-fi inspired scenario.”

The move was announced during a security briefing focused on J’ouvert, an annual Caribbean festival marking the end of slavery that brings thousands of revelers and a heavy police presence to the streets of Brooklyn. Daughtry said the drones would respond to “non-priority and priority calls” beyond the parade route.

Like many cities, New York is increasingly relying on drones for policing purposes. Data maintained by the city shows the police department has used drones for public safety or emergency purposes 124 times this year, up from just four times in all of 2022. They were spotted in the skies after a parking garage collapse earlier this year and when a giveaway event devolved into teenage mayhem.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has said he wants to see police further embrace the “endless” potential of drones, citing Israel’s use of the technology as a blueprint after visiting the country last week.

But as the technology proliferates, privacy advocates say regulations have not kept up, opening the door to intrusive surveillance that would be illegal if conducted by a human police officer.

“One of the biggest concerns with the rush to roll out new forms of aerial surveillance is how few protections we have against seeing these cameras aimed at our backyards or even our bedrooms,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP).

The NYPD did not respond to an email seeking further information about its drone policies.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams shared a link to new guidelines that make it easier for private drone operators to fly in the city, but which do not address whether the NYPD has any policies for drone surveillance.

Around 1,400 police departments across the country are currently using drones in some form, according to a recent report from the American Civil Liberty Union. Under federal rules, they are generally limited to flying within the operator’s line of sight, though many departments have requested exemptions. The report predicted the use of drones was “poised to explode” among police departments.

Cahn, the privacy advocate, said city officials should be more transparent with the public about how police are currently using drones, with clear guardrails that prevent surveillance overreach in the future.

“Clearly, flying a drone over a backyard barbecue is a step too far for many New Yorkers,” Cahn said.

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* This article was originally published here

The Board of Directors of West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) present, ‘World Stage 2023’ NEW YORK CARNIVAL WEEK (Thursday, Aug. 31 – Monday, Sept.4th). Kicking off at the Brooklyn Museum Grounds (200 Eastern Parkway), the week features the return of WIADCA’s signature Junior Carnival Parade | YouthFest and PANORAMA Steelband Competition (Saturday, Sept. 2).

Tickets are available at carnival.nyc, Eventbrite, Charlie’s Records, Allen’s Bakery or arriveearly to buy at door. On Monday, Sept. 4, WIADCA presents their 56th Annual NEW YORK CARNIVAL PARADE 2023 on Eastern Parkway w/live television broadcast and a host of notables.

This year’s highlights include live TV Broadcast (PIX11 & ABC), Con Edison celebrating their bicentennial, Banboche Mas’ presenting ‘Heritage’ and celebrating 4 years at New York Carnival as the only Haitian-American costume band on Eastern Parkway, Big Boy Productions supports NY Mas’ cultural conglomerate, Samba de Brazil-Samba Dancers, NYPD Youth Explorers – Caribbean Flag presentation.

Highlights

J’Ouvert 2023

Tribute to the “World Steelpan Day” August 11th as declared by the United Nations
September 4th 6:00am – 11:00am, Brooklyn NYFor more information on this year’s J’Ouvert Celebration, including route and other festivities, please see the website below from J’Ouvert City International: https://www.facebook.com/Jouvertcity.

New York West Indian American Day Carnival 2023

August 31st – September 4th New York City Carnival Festivities

West Indian American Day Carnival September 4th 11am – 6pm, Brooklyn, NY
For more information on this year’s NYC Carnival Celebration, including route and other festivities, please see the website below from West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA): Carnival.NYC

2023 Panorama Steel Pan Groups

What to get a sneak peak of the action? You can visit some of the many locations to hear the sounds of the island as rehearsals for the celebrations are underway.

Metro Steel Orchestra
1437 Utica Avenue
Brooklyn New York 11203

D’Radoes
900 East 52 Street
Brooklyn, New York 11203

Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra
1168 Rockaway Avevue
Brooklyn, NY 11236

CASYM Steel Orchestra
684 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn NY 11203

Despers USA
985 Rockaway Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11212

Steel Sensation
97-24 222 Street
Queens Village,11429

Pan in Motion
976 President Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Harmony Steel Orchestra
900 Rutland Road
Brooklyn, Ny 11203

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* This article was originally published here

DALLAS (AP) — By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the prime vacation season: Labor Day weekend.

The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far, behind only the Juneteenth weekend, which included Father’s Day, and the Presidents Day break.

Hurricane Idalia should be heading away from the Atlantic Coast as most holiday revelers hop in cars or head to the airport. Airlines canceled several dozen flights in Florida and Georgia scheduled for Thursday but very few for Friday, according to tracking service FlightAware. Tampa International Airport said it would resume normal operations including departing flights early Thursday.

Travelers can check conditions where they are going on the FAA website.

Thursday figures to be the busiest day in U.S. airspace, with 52,203 flights scheduled, followed by 49,111 flights on Friday, according to the FAA. After a lull on Saturday and Sunday, flights are scheduled to pick back up Monday and Tuesday. The numbers include airline, military and some private flights.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 14 million passengers from Friday through Wednesday, up nearly 11% over the same weekend last year.

AAA said bookings for domestic travel — flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises — are running 4% higher than Labor Day last year. The auto club and insurance seller said international bookings are up a staggering 44% now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, with the top destinations being Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin, and Paris.

Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average was $3.83 a gallon on Wednesday, a penny less than a year ago, AAA reported.

On many planes this weekend, every seat is expected to be filled, capping a busy summer.

American Airlines expects to carry nearly 3.5 million passengers on about 32,000 flights between Thursday and next Tuesday. United Airlines is predicting its biggest Labor Day weekend ever, with nearly 2.8 million passengers in that same six-day stretch.

TSA figures show that the number of travelers going through U.S. airport checkpoints in August is 2% higher than in August 2019, before the pandemic.

The good news for travelers is that the rate of canceled flights is down about 19% from last summer, according to data from tracking service FlightAware. Still, the 1.8% cancellation rate since June 1 is a tick higher than during the same period in 2019, and flights delays are even more common than last summer.

Weather has accounted for about three-fourths of all airline delays this year, according to the FAA, but at other times the volume of flights has been too much for FAA air traffic control centers, many of which are understaffed.

Travelers have enjoyed a bit of a break from last year’s skyrocketing airfares. The average fare for a domestic flight in July was down 9% from June and 19% from last July, according to the government’s consumer price index. However, the index sample is skewed toward discount airlines — the biggest airlines have reported that their prices are closer to 2022 levels.

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* This article was originally published here