The New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is studying the use of surveillance drones to monitor city residents who improperly dispose of their trash.
Drones that are currently used to monitor protests and suspicious situations in New York City may be used by the city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to track illegal waste disposal.
“But we are investigating if this technology could be useful for things like building maintenance inspections or enforcing basic cleanliness rules,” said a department spokesperson to The New York Post.
The agency reported that the project is still in its early planning stages.
In November 2024, residential buildings were required to dispose of trash in containers following the city’s new regulations. However, thousands of citizens have still not adhered to the rules.
The drones could assist ground staff in locating illegal waste dumping that occurs outside of designated hours.
As for citizen privacy, the Department of Sanitation said it is “still too early” to provide more details.
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