The NYPD's latest tool for keeping Times Square revelers safe: a remote-controlled drone

Before they pack into Times Square Monday night, thousands of New Year's Eve revelers will pass through the kind of intensive security measures that are normally found inside the nation's airports. While the crowd will probably be keenly aware of the heavy police presence, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal-sensing hand wands, there is one critical security measure that may escape their notice. This year -- for the first time in the New York Police Department's history -- officials will have a camera-equipped, remote-controlled quadcopter on hand with the ability to buzz above the exuberant crowd. The drone's camera will be one of more than 1,200 fixed cameras being used by police at the celebration, according to NBC's "Today" show. Compared with helicopters, NYPD officials said, the agency's drones have the ability to get much closer to the crowd.