Practiced primarily by the NYPD, Surge Drills are spontaneous and random large displays of force used by the police to deter acts of Terrorism and Crime. The use of Surge Drills began after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City as a means to prevent further acts of terror.

Surge Drills generally involve anywhere between 7 to 20 (but can include as many as 80) Patrol Vehicles each crewed by 2 Officers. The patrol cars often respond to a staging area Code 2. Before being led by a commanding officer to patrol various areas of the city Code 2.

The entire premise of Surge Drills is that random large displays of police force will discourage someone from carrying out acts of terror or crime. If an Mugger is preparing to rob someone and 7 police cars appear around the corner, he is not likely to rob anyone. A terrorist getting ready to place a bomb in a trash can may think twice if he hears the sound of approaching police sirens.

The effectiveness of this tactic is often disputed as a waste of police manpower, time and energy and often contributes negatively to public opinion of the police as a whole. The public is also split on the use of Surge Drills with half of the public supporting them, saying Surge Drills make them feel safe. Others say Surge Drills are evidence that we have given in to our fears of Terrorism and that living in a Police State is now the new norm.