CLOVIS (KMJ) — A new bomb squad robot will soon be starting service at Clovis Police. Approval for the $121,800 purchase came Monday evening during a meeting of Clovis City Council.
“Our other robot we’ve had since 2008,” explains Lieutenant Brett Hershberger. “It’s a very outdated model. It was a little bit outdated when we got it. It’s developed a lot of problems and it has come to the point where it really wasn’t worth paying repair bills anymore.”
The agenda item submitted to Clovis City Council described it as “non-functional most of the time” and taking up to an hour to start up.
“The more updated version we’re buying is digital, much more reliable,” adds Lieutenant Hershberger.
The robot will be used to investigate suspicious packages, such as a grenade in a vehicle or a pipe bomb, as well as during SWAT situations.
“For clearing buildings where there might be an armed suspect in and we can get the robot in there. It has the camera on it and we can clear rooms, it can open doors, and it has a lot of other capabilities.”
The approval from Clovis City Council means Clovis Police Department can now enter into a purchase agreement with ICOR Technologies to purchase a new ICOR Caliber T5 robot and accessories.
“The cost of the robot would cover one police officer position for one year,” adds Lieutenant Hershberger. “But this is a piece of equipment that could be saving police officers’ lives for several years.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
