NYPD Deputy Chief Salvatore DiPace appeared on "CBS This Morning" Wednesday and discussed why the police are increasingly concerned drones could pose a terrorist threat.
"Can a drone be weaponized? Definitely," DiPace said.
He went on to outline the various scenarios where a drone could cause a "catastrophe."
Drone Bombs
DiPace said the NYPD is worried a terrorist could attack the city by arming a drone with explosives.
"You can get a fixed wing drone, it's a model plane but it could be 10 feet tall, can travel up to 200 miles an hour. So if you flew it into a building, could it cause damage? If you packed it with explosives? Definitely," explained DiPace.
Mid-Air Collisions
NYPD officials told "CBS This Morning" there have been incidents where drones flew dangerously close to police aircraft. DiPace said they are very concerned about potential collisions between drones and helicopters or planes in the skies above the city.
"Worst case scenario, when it comes to drones, is that a drone collides with an aircraft over the city of New York, and we have a catastrophe," DiPace said.
Chemical Attacks
DiPace also discussed the possibility a drone could be used to deliver "a chemical agent into an area," particularly over a large crowd.
"Special events take place, open venues, open stadiums. We've seen the drone modeled as a crop duster, so that's not to say a drone couldn't go over a crowd and spray a chemical over a crowd or a biological agent over a crowd. Very, very big concern," said DiPace.
Watch the full "CBS This Morning" segment below.
