Atlanta police use surveillance robot to combat crime
Technology
Robot is patrolling streets
(Web Desk) - An autonomous surveillance robot has taken the leading charge of assuring safety in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.
That area had been home to various violent crimes over the past seven months, specifically the Boulevard Street area.
The Boulevard street had almost become a focal point for public safety in the neighborhood. Natives staying in the area revealed that they see bullets all across the street at frequent intervals.
Incidents like these leave them scared since they see and hear everything.
The Atlanta Police Department has shared that 34 crimes have been reported in that area in the past seven months. These crimes include murder, kidnapping, rape, and multiple assaults.
Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi shared that the Old Fourth Ward is mostly a vibrant, walkable, and thriving neighborhood. However, Farokhi added that pockets of crime tend to happen at this place, especially during summer.
With this Knightscope autonomous surveillance robot, things might fall into place. This one requires no human intervention and looks for anomalies, and further reports back to a security operation center.
Stacy Stephens, executive vice president and chief client officer at Knightscope, said, “It’s looking for things that are out of place. So it’s not necessarily, ‘I’m looking for John Smith, who’s doing something bad.’ It’s what’s not right in the area for that given time of day or that level of activity or this particular part of a building?”
According to Stephens the Knighscope began operations in 2015, the one used in Boulevard is around 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 420 pounds.
She added that these robots are sizable, and will not collect any kind of private information. The robot is looking for information which is publicly available.
“So if you’re in a public place, no different than going to the grocery store or your bank or anywhere else that you have CCTV cameras mounted” Stephens added.
Councilman Farokhi seemed initially apprehensive about the robot and its operations, He noted that the police department and the City of Atlanta do not use a robot like that.
But, this seems to be the beginning of a new era.
He added that in the future more such technologies will come into being for public safety.
As of now, the company is using the data as an additional source of information, and keeping the police department updated.
The neighbors in the vicinity express their delight over the robot and don’t seem too concerned if their safety is compromised.
They share that they don’t get any more privacy with the recent criminal happenings. As of now, safety is their primary concern and the robot is helping them achieve it.
