Paterson police wish to buy ‘throwbots’ for hostage situations
PATERSON — The Paterson Police Department is looking to buy three tactical robot systems to use during hostage situations and other standoffs involving officers.
City law enforcement officials are trying to get something commonly called a “throwbot,” a device that can be tossed through a window or can crawl on its own to provide emergency responders with audio and video reconnaissance as well as communications with someone involved in a standoff.
The City Council voted Tuesday night to take bids to buy the equipment.
“It’s not something that shoots somebody. It’s not something that harms somebody,” Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale told the council. “This is a piece of equipment that de-escalates situations, because you don’t need police officers breaking down doors.”
Speziale said the tactical robots would provide something like a FaceTime interaction between cops and someone engaged in a standoff.
Paterson police currently do not have such devices, officials said.
Critical info about a building’s layout
Brian Higgins, the former chief of the Bergen County police who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, said the devices give law enforcement responders critical information about the layout of a building where a standoff is happening, such as the locations of doors and other rooms.
“They provide you with tactical awareness,” said Higgins, who commanded the Bergen County SWAT team for many years.
Higgins said the tactical robots represent the latest technology, filling the role that “pole cameras” and “throw phones” used to play in efforts to resolve standoffs.
New York City last autumn deployed a robot to patrol the Times Square subway station, a move that drew criticism from civil liberties groups, which said it represented an invasion of privacy. The robot was removed from the subway station after several months.
Paterson officials say their throwbots would be used only for standoff situations, and not for patrols in public areas.
Speziale on Tuesday night told the council that Paterson’s state-appointed officer in charge, Isa Abbassi, did not want to engage in a lengthy public discussion of the tactical robots because of the confidential nature of “law enforcement sensitives.”
But the governing body was satisfied with Speziale’s overview explanation of the devices, and no one voted against taking bids to buy them.
“They need the right equipment to be protecting and serving our residents,” said City Council President Alex Mendez.
“This is a piece of equipment that de-escalates situations because you don’t need police officers breaking down doors.”
Jerry Speziale
Paterson public safety director