Heat-sensing binoculars let NYC cops see at night and through the fog

The NYPD now has in its arsenal about 100 thermal imaging binoculars — powerful devices that can detect heat signatures given off by a person or object from up to 3,400 yards away, a contract shows. 

The ATN Bino X-6 Dual Multispectral Thermal Imaging Binoculars, costing $118,580 total, were obtained on June 1 — ahead of a series of major events in New York this summer, including FIFA World Cup Soccer, Sail250, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the July 4th Spectacular, according to the contract documents. 

“This procurement is required to mitigate the unforeseen emergency conditions that create a serious danger to life, safety, property or a necessary service,” the NYPD wrote in a letter explaining the expense on April 10. 

The binoculars, which are being used by the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit, were delivered two months later.

The contract is with a company called ZLC Solutions in Leesburg, Va.

The binoculars provide sharp long-range viewing in sunlight and use digital night vision alongside an infrared illuminator for viewing in pitch dark.

They could be used next at the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 7, which draws thousands of revelers to Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights each year.

They also have a thermal mode that can detect heat signatures representing an object, animal, or person through dense fog, brush, smoke and in darkness.

“They are particularly useful when ESU is searching for a missing or injured person who may not be verbal, conscious, or capable of self care,” an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement.

While NYPD helicopters have thermal camera capabilities, “their abilities are greatly diminished in heavily wooded areas” and the inside of buildings and structures, the NYPD said.

The exact model of the binoculars is redacted in the letter as is the cost per unit. But they start at about $1,500 and can cost as much as $3,000 each.

The contract states that the NYPD purchased about 100 of the units, but the exact number was redacted.

“In an emergency where every second matters, locating an individual quickly can mean life or death,” the spokesperson said. “The binoculars are also used to locate criminals who evade police, monitor areas of concern and to identify potential threats.”