{"id":373106,"date":"2026-06-24T15:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/373106\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:32:13","slug":"sacramento-county-sheriff-puts-new-robot-dog-into-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/373106\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacramento County sheriff puts new robot dog into service"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Office has a new member: a robot dog nicknamed \u201cBuster\u201d by deputies.<\/p>\n

Designed by Boston Dynamics and outfitted for public safety by FlyMotion, Buster recently completed its first deployment during a standoff<\/a> in which officers ultimately disarmed an armed suspect, according to the Sheriff\u2019s Office. The robotic canine was purchased through a federal grant and recently certified for use.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s state-of-the-art technology,\u201d said Lt. Tom McCue, one of Buster\u2019s operators. \u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic addition to the Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buster\u2019s arrival reflects a growing trend among law enforcement agencies across the country to adopt robotic technology for public safety \u2014 a shift that has also raised concerns about police surveillance and oversight.<\/p>\n

In 2022, San Francisco abandoned a proposal to authorize police to use lethal, remote-controlled robots in some emergency situations after significant public opposition, according to a 2024 University of Michigan white paper about the technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Office now joins agencies including the New York and Los Angeles police departments in using a robotic dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a toy, but it\u2019s not a weapon, either,\u201d McCue said. \u201cIt\u2019s unlike any other robotic platform. Its versatility is second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sacramento Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Lt. Tom McCue demonstrates the office\u2019s new robot dog, Buster, on Tuesday. The robot will be operated by the sheriff\u2019s office bomb squad. HG BIGGS hg.biggs@sacbee.com The quest for Buster<\/p>\n

McCue was one of three deputies who applied for a federal grant two years ago to acquire Boston Dynamics\u2019 \u201cSpot,\u201d a lightweight, dog-like robot commonly used for structural inspections.<\/p>\n

After a multiyear application process, the Sheriff\u2019s Office received the robot through a $357,000 federal grant and named it Buster.<\/p>\n

Buster is the second robot owned by the department. The sheriff\u2019s office also has a Remotec Andros robot, an explosive ordnance disposal robot, purchased about 15 years ago through another federal grant.<\/p>\n

\"The The Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s new robot canine, Buster, photographed on Tuesday. The robot will be operated by the sheriff\u2019s office bomb squad. HG BIGGS hg.biggs@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Buster\u2019s arrival comes as Sacramento County faces budget pressures tied to a long-term structural deficit and anticipated impacts from last year\u2019s House spending bill known as House Resolution 1 or the \u201cOne, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the community and the county is deserving of equipment like this, but I also don\u2019t want to take money from them,\u201d McCue said. \u201cWe worked really hard on this grant. Not one dime came from the county, it didn\u2019t impact our budget at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robot canine capabilities<\/p>\n

At the Sheriff\u2019s Office Training Academy, McCue demonstrated how Buster is controlled with a handheld device and can open doors, climb stairs and navigate rough terrain.<\/p>\n

The 100-pound robotic canine is equipped with two-way radio communications, multiple cameras, thermal imaging, X-ray equipment, grippers and lights. It has an operating range of about one-half mile, and deputies have developed a two-battery rotation system that allows it to remain in service around the clock, McCue said.<\/p>\n

Compared with the department\u2019s 400-pound Andros robot, which is designed for precision bomb disposal, Buster is \u201cmuch faster, much more agile\u201d when searching buildings, McCue said.<\/p>\n

During last week\u2019s standoff, Buster surveyed the scene, communicated with the suspect and moved obstacles so deputies could safely enter a confined residence, according to McCue. For now, the sheriff\u2019s office plans to limit the robot\u2019s use to the bomb squad.<\/p>\n

Buster is intended to help deputies keep their distance from dangerous situations, including armed suspects and explosive devices. The department also plans to use it during active shooter incidents to help locate victims more quickly, McCue said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegionally, we are the busiest bomb squads we\u2019ve seen,\u201d McCue explained. Buster thus serves as a \u201cregional asset\u201d that may be deployed to other departments in the capital region with Sacramento sheriff\u2019s operators, McCue said.<\/p>\n

\"Sacramento Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Lt. Tom McCue demonstrates the office\u2019s new robot canine, Buster, on Tuesday. The robot will be operated by the sheriff\u2019s office bomb squad. HG BIGGS hg.biggs@sacbee.com Surveillance concerns<\/p>\n

Asked about privacy concerns surrounding robotic policing technology, McCue said the Sheriff\u2019s Office plans to be transparent about how Buster is used.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis dog is not to spy on you, it\u2019s not to hurt you, or anything like that, it\u2019s literally to help you, to help your neighbors, and the community,\u201d McCue said.<\/p>\n

Deputies plan to conduct demonstrations at schools and community events to familiarize the public with the technology, McCue said.<\/p>\n

Researchers studying the Spot devices and similar robotic platforms have called for stronger public oversight of police surveillance technology as robot dogs become more common in law enforcement, according to University of Michigan researchers.<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Reeti Malhotra<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Reeti Malhotra is a 2026 summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee covering breaking news. She is a junior at Yale University, where she works as a city beat reporter and personal essay staff writer for the Yale Daily News.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Office has a new member: a robot dog nicknamed \u201cBuster\u201d by deputies. Designed by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373107,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-373106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=373106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}