The Huntington Park Police Department deployed the Knightscope K5 robot in June 2019 in the City’s largest park, Salt Lake Park. It’s a 23-acre park with a recreation center, gymnasium, 4 outdoor basketball courts, a soccer field, 4 baseball diamonds, 5 tennis courts, and picnic areas. There are several community programs held here including an After-School Program, Tiny Tots, and Seniors Program. The City also holds several large events at Salt Lake throughout the year, along with a weekly Farmer’s Market.
The City had been hearing concerns from the community about public safety in the park and was searching for innovative ways to address the problems. The Knightscope K5 Robot’s autonomous patrolling and alert features were a perfect fit to support the Police Department remotely and deliver real-time situational awareness via 360-degree HD video and audio, with two-way communication.
In addition to deterring criminal behavior, HP RoboCop (the name given to the K5 by the City) provides a community service during the park’s open hours, broadcasting messages and greetings in both English and Spanish, while serving as an attraction to park goers. In the event of an emergency, the community can also immediately reach the Police Department’s dispatchers, utilizing the robot’s assist button. The City has received many positive comments from the public, expressing their appreciation for HP RoboCop’s presence and the positive impact.
The following is the analysis the Police Department submitted to the City Council:
K5 Autonomous Security Robot Data Analysis
In reviewing several months of relevant activity statistics, ranging from crimes in progress to residents requesting assistance through the K5 robot Alert Button, to police personnel self-initiated activity, the following was observed:
Between June and December of 2018, a period of time when the K5 robot was not deployed at Salt Lake Park, the Huntington Park Police Department registered 277 entries of police activity at Salt Lake Park, whether this activity was initiated by a park patron or self-initiated by an officer or other police personnel. Inclusive of this police activity is the following:
The above data was compared to a like time period, one year later, June to December of 2019, while the K-5 robot was deployed and operating at full capacity. During this time period the level of police activity at Salt Lake Park diminished to 249 recorded entries, which included:
In analyzing the provided data, it can be surmised that the K5 robot is having a positive impact on crime, nuisance activity, and police responses at Salt Lake Park, as follows:
· 10% reduction in calls for service
· 46% reduction in crime reports
· 27% increase in arrests
· 68% reduction in citations
