You’ve heard of police dogs, but how about police robots? The newest member of the police department in Huntington Park, Californiais a robot known as HP RoboCop. Equipped with 360-degree high-definition cameras that both record video and stream live feeds back to the department, the robot is designed to work as a surveillance tool when human police officers are not present.
The robot was previewed at the city’s 5K event at Salt Lake Park on May 19 and introduced at an official ceremony on June 18. So far, HP RoboCop has been on patrol at the park for several weeks. The data it provides will help the Huntington Park police force patrol additional areas, gain information to deter criminals and assist with investigations.
The robot has its own Twitter account at @HPRoboCop:
Thank you Huntington Park for a warm welcome, hope everyone enjoyed the presentation. Happy to be an asset to the Huntington Park Police Department. #hprobocop #cityofHP pic.twitter.com/Y4wE0QnVR2
— HPRoboCop (@HPRoboCop) June 19, 2019
“Thank you Huntington Park for a warm welcome, hope everyone enjoyed the presentation,” read a tweet from June 18 alongside a photo of the robot. “Happy to be an asset to the Huntington Park Police Department. #hprobocop #cityofHP”
The robot can act as an extra set of eyes and ears when police are not in a given public area, thus increasing the force’s overall capacity.
“HPRoboCop’s capabilities are extremely impressive,” City Manager Ricardo Reyes said in the release. “In particular its ability to use its microphone to deter criminal activity and its mobility to patrol large open spaces.”
Additionally, this robot is meant to charm community members, acting an ambassador for the police while adding value to the department’s safety operations.
“I’m very excited that we can officially call on HP RoboCop to help our police officers patrol our city,” Mayor Karina Macias said in a press release. “This is a big accomplishment for our city and introducing RoboCop shows innovation and the incorporation of new technology. I am certainly impressed with HP RoboCop and can’t wait to see it in action. I’m already a big fan!”
What would you think about a robot as part of your town’s police department?
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