City Must Bring On The Drones: New York Should Invite Responsible Use of Flying Devices

In an op-ed for The New York Daily News, New York City Councilman Justin Brannan discusses the need for the New York city government to modernize its statutes to allow for drones to be utilized for key public safety and commercial purposes. "​Plenty of people still have questions about drones, just like they do about any new technology. That’s reasonable, and there are good answers for them. This city can welcome drones and all the great things they can do while protecting everybody on the ground. When businesses, schools, nonprofits and city agencies can make use of increasingly versatile flying devices, it will show that New York is a city that embraces the future — and the jobs and benefits that come with it. As they say, the sky’s the limit."

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The op-ed in its entirety can be read below. 

 City must bring on the drones: New York should invite responsible use of flying devices
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Maybe you’ve seen one flying in the park. Maybe you saw how the NYPD used one to safely capture a suspect, or how NYCHA wants to use them to help fix their buildings. Maybe you even own one yourself.

Drones aren’t just the future, they’re a part of life today. Businesses use these small aerial robots to do their work better, faster, cheaper and safer. Police and fire departments are saving lives with drones carrying cameras that can see through smoke and darkness. Schools use drones the size of baseballs to get kids fascinated with science and tech. And anybody can become an aerial photographer with a drone that fits in the palm of your hand.
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There’s just one problem: New York City government says a 60-year-old law makes drones illegal. It’s a shaky legal argument that would probably fail if challenged, but more importantly, it’s out of touch with what drones are already doing everywhere else, and the good things they could do in New York.

Imagine if an aging co-op building could perform its mandatory facade inspection with a half-hour drone flight instead of installing scaffolding for weeks. Imagine if TV and movie crews could get their aerial shots with a drone instead of disturbing entire neighborhoods with a helicopter. Imagine if utilities, construction companies and even city agencies could monitor infrastructure without blocking traffic for days or putting their people at risk. And imagine if someone who starts flying a drone for fun in the park can turn it into a full-time job.

With a strong legal framework in place, residential neighborhoods in New York could even be a great testing ground for drone deliveries — bringing small packages directly to rooftops and front steps instead of choking streets and blocking lanes with double-parked delivery trucks.

It’s time for New York to craft common-sense regulations for drones that allow flights where they’re safe, restrict them where they aren’t and make sure we can get the benefits of these devices while protecting public safety. We need to hear from the city agencies, private companies and regular New Yorkers who want to use drones, address concerns from police and privacy advocates, and strike a fair balance.

We can do this. The FAA already bans drone flights over people, near airports and out of the pilot’s line of sight. The NYPD already has the power to go after those who break existing laws by using drones to peek in windows or harass people. I know we can write simple, easy-to-understand rules.

New York is a special place, but there’s a place for everything here. Tourists shouldn’t fly drones in Times Square, but with precautions in place, building maintenance companies should be able to do it. My district has crowded commercial avenues where drones shouldn’t buzz overhead, but it also has miles of gorgeous waterfront, huge parks, open backyards and empty spaces where people ought to be able to fly — and I want to see the cool videos they make to show it all off.

The legislation I’ve drafted would require any drone flown in the city to be registered with the Department of Transportation, covered by a liability insurance policy, and have an identification tag and number linking it to its owner — sort of like a VIN number on a car. It would authorize enforcement by DOT and NYPD against those in violation of these rules.

Plenty of people still have questions about drones, just like they do about any new technology. That’s reasonable, and there are good answers for them. This city can welcome drones and all the great things they can do while protecting everybody on the ground. When businesses, schools, nonprofits and city agencies can make use of increasingly versatile flying devices, it will show that New York is a city that embraces the future — and the jobs and benefits that come with it. As they say, the sky’s the limit.