If you’re a criminal on the run from New York’s finest, you may soon have to worry about yet another tool at the disposal of the NYPD: Google Glass. An unnamed New York City law enforcement official confirmed to VentureBeat on Wednesday that the NYPD has procured several pairs of Google’s connected eyewear, and it plans to test them in order to determine how the headsets might help police officers during their patrols.
“We signed up, got a few pairs of the Google glasses, and we’re trying them out, seeing if they have any value in investigations, mostly for patrol purposes,” the official reportedly said. “We’re looking at them, you know, seeing how they work.”
The NYPD official continued, “We think it could help impact patrol operations in New York City. We shall see.”
According to the report, Google is not working with any law enforcement agencies to investigate how Google Glass might play a role in their crime-fighting efforts. Instead, the NYPD purchased the $1,500 headsets on its own to conduct its tests.
A former CIA agent VentureBeat spoke with was skeptical that Glass might serve any real purpose in the law enforcement community. “Its use for law enforcement and intelligence agencies is doubtful, but I’ve been wrong before,” the former agent told the site.
Google Glass might not be the next iPad, but potential use cases for connected eyewear are certainly broadening.
