We all know about the Star Wars Storm Trooper uniforms and the suit armor used in the movie, Avatar. But how far is it from becoming fact?
On July 8, 2016, Dallas Police Department took a sniper down with a robot and an explosive. This action opened the doors to a new era of tactical response for law enforcement.
The military today is experimenting with human exoskeletons; stronger, faster, and protective of the personnel within. We are now developing robotic dogs, humanoid robots, drones, and tracked automations, capable of being equipped with infrared, FLIR, night vision, and if necessary, weaponized.
With the ever-increasing deadly and often fatal assaults on law enforcement personnel, the use of automations only makes sense. The cost may seem prohibitive, but what is a life worth? As research progresses, the cost of the automated systems will inevitably decrease. Will there come a time when automations will be available to engage in the entry of dangerous situations, at the same time relaying a visual reference for the assigned officers to review from a safe location? Absolutely!
The public will no doubt resist this initially; automations cannot convey the human element of the officer or K9, nor do they possess the cognitive investigative ability of the responding officer. But officer safety must come first and human contact can be deployed after the scene is evaluated as safe. It’s a brave new world out there, survival will require change. Are we prepared to accept this, or will it be another instance of law enforcement being dragged kicking and screaming into the future? How many lives can this technology save? Could one of them be you?
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Kevin Cotroneo has served 36 years in law enforcement, retiring from the California Highway Patrol and Mendocino County Sheriff’s – Coroner’s Office, retiring at the rank of sergeant from both. During that time, he served in such capacities as Highway Interdiction, Officer Involved Shooting Team, Search & Rescue commander, and rangemaster. He has been an instructor for DRE (Drug Recognition Expert), EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), Firearms, Officer Survival, and Community Awareness.
Kevin has kept abreast of the current training and trending events in law enforcement, meanwhile adding to his own training, expertise, and experience as a basis to present you the articles he writes. His goal is to expand awareness, improve survival capabilities, and share trending methods with brother and sister officers. There is always something new to learn and insight to be gained. He is constantly in pursuit of that knowledge. Kevin currently works for the federal government.
