BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Robotic police dogs are already being used by the Los Angeles and New York police departments, and Bakersfield police are preparing to add one of their own to the department’s tactical tools.
Bakersfield police have not announced when the robotic canine, known as “Spot,” will arrive, but Capt. Ryan Kroeker said there has been growing interest. “Yeah, there’s been some chatter,” said Kroeker, captain of the Bakersfield Police Department’s Special Operations Division.
Kroeker, who has been with the department for 20 years, said the robotic canine is expected to help detect fentanyl, other chemicals and different types of hazards.
“We believe this canine robot will have the ability to detect some of those things, which will give us more information to be able to make the best decisions possible to render whatever situation we can, as safe as we can as soon as we can,” Kroeker said.
Kroeker said the department is also working on getting its eighth live K-9. Each live canine costs about $15,000, while the robotic canine cost just over $400,000.
Asked how the expense can be justified, Kroeker said, “Yeah, I don’t think my job and position is to justify where the money’s spent. I think obviously public safety and the world of public safety, we rely on funding and we can continue to use more funding. And we also know that financial and physical responsibility is very, very important.”
Funding for “Spot” came from the county’s Fentanyl Prevention Task Force, which was established by Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains. Bains could not be reached for comment, but said in a statement: “As an addiction physician who has cared for patients battling substance use disorder and served on the front lines of this crisis, I know that fighting fentanyl requires every tool available.”
Kroeker said the robotic canine will be helpful in a variety of ways, but he does not see it as the future of policing, emphasizing that the core of fighting crime remains the men and women on the force.