Wichita City Council approves purchase of robotic police dog, Spot
By Lily O’Brien
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WICHITA, Kansas (KAKE) — Following weeks of debate over the Wichita Police Department asking to use Capital Improvement Program funds for two robotic dogs, the Wichita City Council has answered WPD’s question.
WPD won’t be getting two robotic dogs — they’ll be getting one.
The device, also referred to as “Spot,” is designed to assist SWAT and bomb squad operations, keeping officers safer while still getting the job done.
With an original $650 thousand request, WPD first asked to have one dog for SWAT and the other for the bomb squad. The single unit approved Tuesday will be mainly designated for the bomb squad, although Mayor Lily Wu was optimistic about its multi-faceted capabilities.
“You can’t put a price tag on human life,” said WPD Chief Joe Sullivan. “This is something that’s seven years old. We didn’t decide that, oh, that looks interesting, that looks sexy, let’s run out and buy it. We sat back, we watched, we talked to people that utilize it.”
WPD’s Captain Jason Cooley presented the issue to the council on Tuesday. He cited various case studies around the nation of other departments that have benefited from the dogs.
Typically, Cooley said, departments are approved for one, recognize a further need, and come back with a request for a second device.
He pointed to population growth, a rise in SWAT calls, and an overall pressing desire to integrate technology for the betterment of the police force.
“Just this weekend, we definitely could have used Spot. We had a very busy weekend. We had a bomb job on Saturday, Easter night, I was out with the troops on a barricade where we definitely could have used it… so we know the need is there,” said Sullivan.
Two robots would’ve cost Wichita a negotiated and discounted price of roughly $629,000. One robot on its own is expected to cost around $330,000.
After one year, warranties for repair on the new tech would cost an additional annual rate of about $28,000, something Cooley says the department is looking to absorb through its software budget.
Some people in the meeting say the city still doesn’t have enough clear policy in place surrounding the new tech.
Councilmember Maggie Ballard, echoed by a couple of other councilmembers, looked to delay the decision even further — until WPD could establish policy and guardrails.
“They’ve had a month to come up with a policy. We don’t have a policy. How are we going to implement these safely when we do not have a policy?” asked one public speaker.
“People want investment in these things. They’re not opposed to them. They want to be a part of the process of building out policy guidelines and understanding the data,” said Joseph Shepard.
Sullivan pushed back, saying robots aren’t new to law enforcement.
“I’m confused about concerns, because we’ve been using robots for 30 years, and this is what we’ve always done, continuously improved those capabilities. I was out there recently… we really could’ve used Spot out here, because we did not have the ability to effectively communicate with our subject,” said Sullivan.
Both Cooley and Sullivan mentioned incidents over the weekend where their current technology was not enough.
Something as simple as walking over obstacles — like a pile of clothes — rendered current robotics useless in the field. Robotic dogs, they said, would streamline movement, processes, and capabilities.
There were also concerns over the cost and whether or not robotic dogs needed to be a priority for a city approaching a new budget after a failed sales tax vote.
Sullivan says no matter the cost, the safety provided by technology is worth it.
“This just isn’t just something that we decided to do. This was approved. We moved it up in the CIP because Captain Cooley had this project ready to go,” said Sullivan.
Another public speaker agreed with the necessity.
“Officers in these two units [SWAT and bomb squad] are examples of all officers dedicated and committed to uphold the oath they took to serve and protect our community. They all deserve the investment of this technology to mitigate the dangers they face,” she said.
As part of the motion to move from two dogs to one, Councilmember Becky Tuttle added an amendment where WPD and the council will reconvene in July with feedback, established policy, and data on robotic dog usage.
At that point, they can talk about if there’s a greater need for the second device.
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