Autonomous police vehicles are no longer the stuff of science fiction – at least, not in South Florida. The first self-driving police car in the U.S., a Ford Police Interceptor Utility based on the Ford Explorer, has officially begun testing on the streets of Miami. And it isn’t working alone: it’s partnered with a drone.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is testing the self-driving Ford Police Interceptor. Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz says that one autonomous patrol car can do the work of 20 deputies. In a single year of service, one patrol vehicle can log the same amount of uninterrupted patrol hours as said 20 deputies combined.
“This does not replace a deputy,” Cordero-Stutz says. “This augments our ability to serve our community… this is really what I believe the integration of technology into law enforcement [will look like].”
The autonomous Ford Police Interceptor Utility is nicknamed “PUG” – short for Police Unmanned Ground – and features all manner of technology, including thermal imaging, 360 degree cameras, and a drone that acts as its “eye in the sky.” The drone feeds live data and footage to a command center, enabling law enforcement to stay out of harm’s way while monitoring a situation…