The St Petersburg Policeon the west coast of Florida (USA), presented this Monday its new reinforcement, Spot, a robotic dog remote control to be used in cases where it is necessary to send the local agents of the special forces (SWAT).
To avoid the possible rejection of citizens before the arrival of this robot, the Police stressed that will only be used in “extraordinary situations” that pose a threat to human life and/or risk to first aid teams and law enforcement.
That is, to respond to a case where there is an armed person, hostage taking, search and rescue of victims in an unstable building, in situations of exposure to biological or chemical hazards, natural disasters or major events with numerous victims, the Police explained. .
The new Florida police robot dog
This robot of the empresa Boston Dynamics it can climb stairs, open doorknobs and move over uneven terrain, they said in a statement.
Spotwho joined the department’s team of agents thanks to a donation from a married couple in the city, It has a camera and an intercom which allows its operator to talk to and listen to, for example, a “suspect barricaded in a building or holding hostages”.
To tackle the reluctance of the community, the Police also explained that the dog does not have a mouth, so it cannot bite, nor can it carry weapons or anything that could harm people or animals.
Florida’s new robotic police dog
In addition, it will not be used for crowd control, traffic stops, routine situations, or to “intimidate or coerce” a person who is not involved in a “high-risk incident.”
This robot dog has been patrolling New York for a year now
This robot dog has been patrolling New York for a year now
Spot’s incorporation into this Florida police force comes days after it became known that the Government of The US is developing other “robot dogs” to support the agents of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the surveillance of the border with Mexico, which has unleashed a wave of criticism from activists.
Similar opposition was received last year by the signing of a contract between Boston Dynamics and the New York City Police, who were ultimately forced to break the agreement for $94,000, according to local media reports.
The criticism didn’t stop the Massachusetts State Police from being the first in the country to test another issue of Spot in 2019.