Drones To Monitor New York State Fair Traffic

Just twenty-four hours before the opening of the New York State Fair, the governor has expedited a plan to allow law enforcement drone monitoring at the event. Expecting to attract over one million guests, Governor Andrew Cuomo is proactive in using technology to keep traffic moving.

Police drones will aid on-the-ground traffic enforcement during the thirteen-day event. The plan will permit traffic management to gather footage of trafficking at the fair. The primary goal is to prevent congestion and aid in responding fast to accidents as a variety of agencies collaborate.

In a statement, Cuomo said, “The state fair draws guests from all over the state. We need fairgoers to enjoy everything the fair has to give.”

“By using drone equipment we will be ready to react better to varying traffic situations,” the statement said.

Drones, in New York City, are already used to supplement firefighting operations and manhunts. The governor’s announcement is the first time drones have been used by agencies in non-emergency applications.

State officials did not say if the drones would be employed to observe visitors for use other than traffic control. The authorities would not discuss how gathered footage would be used and stored. With just one day between the announcement and the opening of the festival, no one knows if the state went to citizens to gather feedback on using the technology.

The New York Civil Liberty Union is one of the groups advocating for strict controls to counter monitoring which may encroach on civil rights. The group claims drones should be used only by law enforcement when they have “a warrant, in an crisis or there are special grounds to think the drone will gather evidence linked to a specific criminal act.”

State authorities did say police and traffic control experts are manning the drones will follow Federal Aviation Administration guidelines which order drones to be engaged in the line of sight and within a mile of the operator.