$12,250 Robocop out of commission in NYC after only 4 months

New York City's infamous "robocop" has officially ended its pilot program, according to an official from the city. The machine lasted only four months and costed $12,250.

The 5-foot-tall 400lb security robot, K5, was introduced in October of last year to much fanfare from Mayor Eric Adams' office, however, the public was not as impressed and it was stashed away in a vacant storefront just two months into the city's six-month contract with its manufacturer, Knightscope.

"The K5 Knightscope has completed its pilot in the NYC subway system," a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said in a statement earlier this month, per the New York Times.

Adams spokesman Charles Lutvik further explained that while K5 was working a 6-month contract, the decision to remove it from the subway after just two months was all part of the original plan.
 

"The Adams administration is constantly exploring innovative technologies that can advance the work we've done to bring down crime and keep New Yorkers safe while maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars," Lutvak said. "We are reviewing options for the K5's next deployment as part of the pilot."

At a press conference in September, Adams touted K5 as the way of the future, saying, "eventually, this is going to be a part of the fabric of our subway system."

The city paid $12,250 for the contract, and with K5's midnight to 6am shifts, that worked out to around $9 per hour.

"This is below minimum wage!" Adams quipped. "No bathroom breaks. No meal breaks. This is a good investment."

Critics quickly countered Adams' claims after seeing K5 in action. Despite its size, the massive, camera-equipped robot required as many as two human police officers to guard it at all times.

As the Times reports, Police Commissioner Edward Caban delivered a presentation earlier this week wherein he hyped up all the electronic devices the force had used of the last year. K5 was notably excluded from the event.