News: 0179809964

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Miami Is Testing a Self-Driving Police Car That Can Launch Drones (thedrive.com)

(Thursday October 16, 2025 @11:30PM (BeauHD) from the surveillance-era dept.)


Miami-Dade County is [1]piloting a self-driving police car built by PolicingLab and powered by Perrone Robotics, equipped with 360-degree cameras, AI analytics, license plate readers, and even drone-launch capabilities. The Drive reports:

> "Designed as a force multiplier, the PUG combines advanced autonomy from Perrone Robotics with AI-driven analytics, real-time crime data, and a suite of sensors including 360-degree cameras, thermal imaging, license plate recognition, and drone launch capabilities," [says the [2]PolicingLab's announcement .] "Its role: extend deputy resources, improve efficiency, and enhance community safety without additional cost to Miami-Dade taxpayers," it continued.

>

> For starters, this is merely a pilot program being sponsored by PolicingLab, not a standard addition to the department's fleet. And second, at least initially, it's being soft-launched as a feeler for the Sheriff's public affairs folks. It'll be posted up at public and media events in order to "gather feedback" before the department considers whether to press it into service. Once it's actually brought online, PolicingLab says the squad car will offer several benefits to the department: "The 12-month pilot will evaluate outcomes such as improved response times, enhanced deterrence, officer safety, and stronger public trust," it said. "Results will inform whether and how the program expands, potentially serving as a national model for agencies across the country."

>

> In other words, PolicingLab expects that the data collected about real-world policing will more than offset the costs of building and supporting the car in the long run, but if these are ever pressed into regular service, you can bet they'll come with hefty subscription and support costs, even if they do eliminate expensive human labor (and judgment) from the situation.



[1] https://www.thedrive.com/news/miami-is-testing-a-self-driving-police-car-that-can-launch-drones

[2] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251001711122/en/Miami-Dade-Sheriffs-Office-and-Policing-Lab-Launch-Nations-First-Autonomous-Patrol-Vehicle-Pilot



But there's no such thing as bad tech right? (Score:2)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

When I point out that AI is a fundamentally antisocial technology because of its excessive water and electric use while destroying jobs in a society where you don't work you don't eat inevitably a shitload of people come out of the woodwork to tell me I'm being a Luddite and then start using the good old buggy whip thought terminating cliche.

Then along comes crap like this to remind us that we are rapidly descending into a techno feudal post-capitalist hellscape.

The socialists and the Communists hav

Re: (Score:2)

by Frank Burly ( 4247955 )

The aspirational techolibertarian empire may be Eloi all the way down, making Kim Stanley Robinson's quote overly optimistic.

> That's libertarians for you — anarchists who want police protection from their slaves.

Miami deserves a (Score:2)

by Tablizer ( 95088 )

...hacked spaced-out RoboCop.

I much prefer Star Trek (Score:2)

by JoshuaZ ( 1134087 )

I would much rather live in Star Trek than whatever cyberpunk dystopia we seem to be living in. Can the writers please change the genre a bit?

Re: I much prefer Star Trek (Score:2)

by commodore73 ( 967172 )

Agreed. I've come to the conclusion that there is basically no reason to expect any good news ever again. Maybe there never really was? The big problem is growing up. My parents gave me hope and made me an idealist. I wonder if this was a mistake that puts me at a disadvantage and can cause mental health issues due to things like cognitive dissonance. The mind really seems like a computer sometimes, a bit of an LLM with garbage in and garbage out, and a ton of flaws. I consumed less garbage as a child (for

Re: Kites (Score:2)

by 50000BTU_barbecue ( 588132 )

Like barrage balloons

"Stronger publilc trust" (Score:2)

by sound+vision ( 884283 )

What's better than masked, secret police? Faceless robots.

And for what? Fostering "stronger public trust", of course. Nothing says "trust" like secret police.

Re: (Score:1)

by easyTree ( 1042254 )

At least you can hack a robot. Actual police are immune to all input - like the Israeli government, or people.

Re: (Score:2)

by Jeremi ( 14640 )

> At least you can hack a robot. Actual police are immune to all input

Au contraire -- quite a few police have a well-known back door that you can exploit with nothing more than an envelope full of $100 bills.

Re: "Stronger publilc trust" (Score:2)

by commodore73 ( 967172 )

We're replacing "I was just following orders" with "the algorithm did it."

America's Funniest Drone Takedowns (Score:2)

by abulafia ( 7826 )

You know it'll happen. Cops is in its 37th season.

But do the cops carry sick cyber katanas? (Score:2)

by locater16 ( 2326718 )

And can the car launch a cyber motorcycle after it crash like in The Dark Knight? Cause I want Florida Man's tax dollars to just kit out a full cyberpunk dystopia so I can be entertained by clips of it on Tiktok

\o/ (Score:1)

by easyTree ( 1042254 )

As someone who passively consumes too much kids TV, I can confidently say: Drone! WOOF! Donut-location mode Activated!

As if... (Score:1)

by Techmaniac ( 447838 )

We needed another reason to stay out of Floriduh.

Canada Post doesn't really charge 32 cents for a stamp. It's 2 cents
for postage and 30 cents for storage.
-- Gerald Regan, Cabinet Minister, 12/31/83 Financial Post