San Diego Police SWAT Team Seeking Robots, Stealth Cameras to Save Lives During Standoffs

The Special Weapons and Tactics Team for the San Diego Police Department faces some hair-raising scenarios. It might be a standoff after hostages are taken during a robbery, an angry shooter firing out a window onto the street or perhaps a murder suspect holed up in a dark, abandoned warehouse.

Given the job and its dangers, the SWAT unit looks for way to reduce the potential for deadly fallout for both the cops, civilans and suspects. At least that’s the game plan according to SDPD.

On Wednesday, at the Public Safety Committee hearing before members of the San Diego City Council, the department laid out all the details on three new items to help the SWAT team.

The new technology includes robots to send into dangerous places, a tiny camera that can slide under doors and a new communications system which includes elements of “old school” tech.

These items were on the meeting’s consent agenda because they were previously reviewed by public citizen groups and council members. The review included details on their mission, cost, and who controls the use of the items, as required by the city’s surveillance ordinance, passed in 2022. The ordinance says any technologies used by city employees must be be publicly vetted before they are put into service.

These are not weapons but potentially life saving technology that’s assigned to the Special Response Team within the 72-officer SWAT group.

The Robots

The team will be handling the three types of robots the city is purchasing. Each of the robots have different capabilities. According to SDPD report to the Public Safety committee the robots have the ability “to look into a structure or area for a potentially violent individual without having to put an operator in harm’s way.”

These robots are used to de-escalate potentially violent situations by allowing SWAT officers to see into places too dark for the naked eye to see while not having to expose the officer to danger. Each has multiple cameras with infrared capabilities.

One of the robots can record audio and video, as well as listen and communicate. Another can also listen and communicate. These “listeners” are primarily used by the Emergency Negotiations Team which does most of the talking to people inside the structure.

This team is composed of sworn SDPD personnel, SDPD Chaplains, agents from the FBI and Naval Criminal Intelligence.

Another robot called FLIR does not have the ability to listen or communicate. But the device has “rubber tracks and articulating front and rear flippers, allowing it to effortlessly climb stairs. It also includes an extendible rotating claw arm that simplifies opening door handles.”

An SDPD memorandum to the council says the robots increase “the safety for both the officers involved in the operation as well as any person in the target structure or area by giving the SWAT unit real time intelligence” that is invaluable when dealing with a barricaded suspect or a hostage situation.

Each FLIR robot costs i$20,000 with annual maintenance of $10,000. Another model from ICOR costs $55,000 and has a $10,000 support budget.

Under Door Camera

The SWIFT under door camera does exactly what its name suggests. The SDPD documents describe it as “exceptionally compact” providing real-time viewing in four directions at the same time, forward, upward/backward, left and right. It also has infrared abilities As with the robots, their operation is the responsibility of the SWAT Special Response Team.

Once the video and audio are recorded by the under the door camera, its memory card is impounded as evidence. The SWAT operator, according to the department’s memo to the council, “will make every effort to only record the target of the observation to protect the privacy of nearby uninvolved citizens and their property.” The agency has two of the tiny cameras now, costing $17,105 each.

Throw Phone

The SWAT team is also receiving the Tactical Throw Phone. Paid for with a Homeland Security Grant, it cost $69,850. It’s used during crisis/life threatening events involving negotiations between suspects and/or hostages and crisis negotiators. The regional Emergency Negotiations Team also has access to the system as needed.

Tactical Throw Phone allows law enforcement to deploy a hardwired phone into a barricade/hostage scenario. It works as a cell phone, a landline phone as well.

SDPD reported it’s one of the leading technologies available and “no other technology is ruggedized to the degree” of the Tactical Throw Phone. It’s able to broadcast on a closed network allowing additional negotiators and incident commanders real time information for assessment.