NYPD Nixes Times Square Drone For New Year's Eve

NEW YORK — The NYPD won't be flying a drone over Times Square after all. Nasty weather has forced the Police Department called off its plan to deploy the flying camera above Monday night's New Year's Eve celebration.

In a tweet announcing the move, Chief of Department Terence Monahan said the revelers' safety is "paramount."

"Due to the rain and wind tonight, our NYPD drones will NOT be in the air," he said in the tweet.

More than an inch of rain was expected to soak the massive ball-drop party. The National Weather Service has also warned of winds gusting as high as 30 MPH on Monday night.

Last week, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said rain wouldn't hamper the NYPD's security plan for the gathering, which also includes thousands of cops, hundreds of blocker vehicles, and bomb-detecting dogs. But he did suggest the drone may not be immune to the weather.

"This is the first time we’re going to be using it at a large-scale event and as we go through the night, if the picture isn’t clear, then we’ll have to rely on aviation," O'Neill said Friday, referring to the NYPD's Aviation Unit.

City councilman and public advocate candidate Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Inwood) expressed concerns earlier Monday about balancing security and privacy with the use of the drone. Monahan's tweet did not indicate the NYPD's decision was related to those concerns.

(Lead image: Times Square is seen on Dec. 31, 2017. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)