Sgt. John Olszowka, St. Joseph Police Department, said the robot is a helpful tool in increasing officer safety.
“It’s important for our safety, for everybody’s safety,” Olszowka said. “It protects our officers from having to expose themselves from unnecessary risks.”
The Police Department currently does have one small robot, which officers use for surveillance. Olszowka described it as a remote control car with a camera.
“We use it in instances where we don’t have to send officers into a building or to a room to look around and see what’s in there,” Olszowka said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time we use it is during a search warrant when we know someone might be armed or has a possibility of being armed.”
During St. Joseph City Council’s budget discussions, Police Chief Chris Connally asked the council for $40,000 for the new robot for the department’s tactical team.
Olszowka said the police department is looking at robots that have arms and hand grips, making it able to open doors and move items out of the way.
“The more tools we can have to keep officers safe, it helps keeps the public safe,” Olszowka said.
The department’s current robot is about 8 to 10 years old, which means its cameras and technology are almost a decade behind, he added.
“There’s more cameras, there’s better technology,” Olszowka said. “Think of your 8- to 10-year-old computer. Things get outdated.”
Capt. Jeff Wilson, St. Joseph Police Department, said police will need City Council approval before making a purchase. If during the department’s research there are multiple manufactures who make the type of robot the department is looking for, the purchase will go out for bid. However, Wilson said often there aren’t many options for manufacturers when it comes to specialized equipment.
“A lot of times it’s a sole provider and they’re able to buy it from one company that has the things they want,” Wilson said.
In that case, the purchase wouldn’t go out for bid, but would still need council approval. After the police department finds a robot it wants and gets approval, Olszowka said it would most likely take four to six months for police to receive it from the manufacturer.
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