QUEENS, NY - The New York Police Department (NYPD) has increased its surveillance of beaches in the surrounding areas for sharks in the water.
On Thursday, July 30, the NYPD's TARU unit demonstrated the technology they are using to identify sharks off the coast of Rockaway Beach, ABC 7 reported.
Beach closures due to shark sightings have increased this year as more sharks have been spotted near shore. The drones allow officers to identify the animals from the air before they pose a risk to swimmers. According to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, 16 sharks were spotted off Rockaway Beach between July 1 and July 5.
The NYPD said its drones helped detect seven of those sightings. Drone operators fly approximately 100 yards offshore, beyond the jetties, while keeping the camera zoomed out to monitor a wide section of water.
Officers look for shark silhouettes beneath the surface, similar to those captured in police drone footage this summer.
“People are able to tell what kind of shark it is on the zoom. It's a great capability on these drones,” NYPD Detective Jorge Bravo said. “We could get lower. We don't necessarily need to get lower because the zoom on the cameras is good enough.”
When a shark is spotted, officers immediately notify the city's Parks Department by radio. Under department protocol, beaches are closed for one hour within a half-mile in each direction of the sighting.
“Once the pilot sees the shark, we get on our radios immediately, tell the lifeguards in the lifeguard towers where the shark is, the direction the shark is swimming, and how far into the water it is,” Detective Bravo said. “Then, they make the call to start to pull all the swimmers out of the water.”
The drones also serve a second purpose: water rescues. Each is equipped with an inflatable flotation device that can be dropped to swimmers in distress. The device is capable of supporting two adults until lifeguards arrive.
According to the Parks Department, there have been 45 beach closures due to shark sightings so far this season, all at Rockaway Beach. At the same point last summer, there had been 24 closures, also all at Rockaway.
While Rockaway Beach sees the majority of shark activity, the NYPD patrols four beaches across New York City.
“We're here in Far Rockaway, we do Orchard Beach in the Bronx, South Beach in Staten Island and Coney Island,” Detective Bravo said.
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