NYC Police Deploy Drones to Spot Sharks and Close Beaches

The New York Police Department’s Tactical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) has been using drones to monitor shark activity off the city’s beaches. Detectives, including Jorge Bravo, say the drones can identify shark silhouettes and even species from about 100 yards offshore, allowing officers to alert the Parks Department and close beaches within a half‑mile radius for an hour when a shark is sighted. The drones also carry inflatable flotation devices that can be dropped to swimmers in distress.

During the current “shark summer,” 45 beach closures have been recorded at Rockaway Beach, with 16 sharks spotted between July 1‑5 and a total of 23 closures reported across New York state. A swimmer was bitten at Jones Beach over the Fourth of July weekend, though the injury was non‑life‑threatening. Officials attribute the rise in closures to both increased shark migration and improved surveillance, including the expanded use of aerial drones, as well as broader environmental changes such as warmer ocean temperatures and restored prey populations.