“Common sense dictates that drone technology should be harnessed to scan every elevated structure with a line of sight to a target,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) in a Monday Facebook post. “If drones can enable the early detection and prevention of assassination attempts, why not use them? Better to have vigilant eyes in the sky than to remain blind to would-be assassins.”
He included a link to Axios’ scoop report about legislation he plans to introduce in response to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week at a Utah college campus. Torres – who at age 25 in 2013 became NYC’s youngest elected official and the first openly LBGTQ person elected in the Bronx – told the outlet in a statement that he intends to introduce the bill this week.
It would direct the Department of Homeland Security “to study the feasibility of deploying drones to secure public events and prevent assassination attempts,” according to Axios.
Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned aircraft systems, are already in use for various purposes, from security to entertainment. Over the weekend, more than 3,000 drones notably flew over the Vatican for the massive “Grace of the World” to create images, including a portrait of the late Pope Francis. Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy unveiled a new proposed rule that would “unleash American innovation [and] safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system.”
According to Axios, Torres has introduced security-related legislation in the past after recent high-profile shootings. For example, Torres and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) introduced a bill to provide equal Secret Service protection for all presidents and presidential candidates after the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump last year when he was on the campaign trail. That bill passed both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden, Axios added.
Additionally, Torres has proposed a bill that would have narrowed the Secret Service’s mission to focus only on protecting political leaders, instead of going after financial crimes as well. Audacy station 1010 WINS reported last November that Torres also expressed alarm about the response to stabbings in New York.
“Not only did the state and the city fail to punish him for assaulting a corrections officer, but the city released him early for good behavior,” Torres said at the time.
WINS noted that he has been ramping up attacks on New York Gov Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat. and was considering a gubernatorial run. However, he indicated during a July interview with MSNBC that he wasn’t going to jump into the race and even joined forces with Hochul in August to warn about the potential impact of the GOP-led spending bill passed earlier this year.
Torres’ expected legislation is part of a larger conversation growing in the wake of Kirk’s murder. Axios reported the attempts on Trump’s life last year had resulted in a push for increased Secret Service security and the Kirk shooting has increased calls for broader protection against political violence.