Imagine rushing your pregnant wife to the hospital; you’re speeding down Interstate 95 when you get pulled over by a Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) patrol car, but no officer steps out to hear why you’re going so fast. You then have to wait until another officer shows up and says you’ve been pulled over by a robo-cop.
Welcome to Miami policing in 2025.
This week, MDSO became the first law enforcement office in the nation to announce the impending use of an autonomous patrol car, which the department says won’t replace officers, but help them in emergencies and during events. The department unveiled the Ford SUV in a glitzy, pyrotechnic display that could have been confused for a World Wrestling Entertainment match or movie premiere. MDSO even brought out a real pug to promote the new policing tool, dubbed the Police Unmanned Ground Vehicle (PUG) Patrol Partner, by the nonprofit Policing Lab…