Welcome, to the machine
The recent purchase of a police robot will provide additional protection to Newark police officers, department officials said.
During a demonstration at Newark Division of Police on Wednesday, Sgt. Clint Eskins explained the $25,000 Transcend police robot, which came with a drone and warranty, was purchased through a partnership with The Dickey Foundation. The foundation awarded NPD a $7,500 grant toward the purchase.
“This tool here can be used in a multitude of applications, anywhere we need to go in and search or make contact - anywhere we can’t put an officer or don’t want to put an officer for safety reasons, we can send this robot and try to make contact or locate a person,” Eskins said.
Some instances where the robot might be useful include search and rescue, as well as response to suicidal individuals, armed and barricaded people, a hostage rescue, and suspicious packages.
He pointed out some features of the robot, which is manned by a handheld controller, including a microphone, driving and searching cameras, and a space to carry a phone. The camera, Eskins said, has thermal capabilities and can film under low-light conditions.
Eskins said there are other attachments that could be purchased later if needed, such as something to pull a tear gas canister or an arm that could open doors or move items.
Stationary, Eskins said the battery lasts about six hours and in motion, it shortens the span of the battery. As far as the range of the robot from the remote, Eskins said that will depend on the type of structure it’s inside. Inside a residential building, he estimated it would be able to reach all rooms.
Although all the agency’s officers have gotten the chance to train with it, Eskins said they’ll likely designate three to be trained to use it on a regular basis.
“It’s a two-person job. We’ll have someone operating it and typically an observer with it, so somebody who will be watching the screen and communicate with the team,” he said.
Newark Mayor Jeff Hall said the grant money put toward the robot was critical for its purchase. He expressed gratitude toward the foundation’s grant.
“We were one of the first cities in the state with (K9 officers) and I’d like to say we’re probably one of the first in this county for sure with this type of robot ..., ” Hall said. “In a town this size, this is pretty progressive.”
Newark Safety Director Tim Hickman said the addition of the robot to the team was an invaluable asset.
“Being a former tactical officer myself ... I can just envision so many circumstances where that’s going to come in handy, so we’re very appreciative of everything ... to make this happen,” he said.
Newark Police Chief Erik Mckee said they tested a couple other models, and Transcend worked for everything the agency needs right now. Noting an effort to be fiscally responsible, Mckee said the robot was a great deal and came with a drone.
“Like Director (Hickman) said, there are so many situations we can think of in the last few years where this would’ve been vital to use, whether it be two-way communication with the hostage negotiators to putting eyes and ears in a structure for our tactical team, not putting them in any danger,” Mckee said.
In a prepared statement, Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. said the foundation is proud to give back to local police departments who put their lives at risk daily to protect their communities.
“We hope the Foundation donation helps inspire others to give and help support the police officers in their communities,” she said.
Mckee and Eskins said the project has been in the works since 2019 and finally came to fruition about six months ago. The agency has been using it for training until its debut this week.