Name: Honolulu Police Spent $150,000 In CARES Funds On A Robot Dog
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Honolulu Police Spent $150,000 In CARES Funds On A Robot Dog

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In other words, its ostensible use is as a thermometer, according to the city’s spending justification, though HPD says it can do more.“It sounds absolutely ridiculous,” said Katrina Langford, a Haleiwa mother of two who has struggled to get rental assistance after she and her husband lost their jobs.“I could think of a lot of better things to do with that money. It seems like people are taking temperatures everywhere and they don’t need robots to do it.”HPD rejected a Civil Beat request to interview a department official about the purchase. Instead, Deputy Chief John McCarthy issued an emailed statement saying that the robot is “more than a ‘thermometer.’”“Spot will help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through touchless field screening and interaction with homeless individuals in self-quarantine,” he said.“Oftentimes, POST participants will request medical attention when exhibiting possible symptoms of COVID-19. In an effort to reduce possible exposure, the Spot robot will provide telemedicine to those individuals and can deliver medical supplies and food.”Spot can also patrol an area and conduct continual thermal imaging to detect people’s temperature changes, according to McCarthy.“Currently, much of this work is done by officers, some of whom are on overtime pay. In the long run, the Spot robot will save money while keeping officers safe,” he said. “Beyond the pandemic, we plan to use the Spot robot in other HPD operations.”The spending has drawn criticism from community members, leaders like , and even police officers themselves.“The bulk of the money should’ve gone to individuals and families who were suffering,” said Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi.The council’s public safety committee, which Tsuneyoshi now chairs, will discuss the purchase of the robot dog at a meetingBrandi Higa, a spokeswoman for the mayor, declined to comment on whether the Corporation Counsel’s office felt the robot met federal requirements, citing attorney-client privilege between city lawyers and HPD.Civil Beat asked the city what Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s stance is on the purchase of the robot dog. He declined to comment.During this election season, we hope that our coverage provides you with the information to make informed decisions on issues that you care deeply about.Whether it’s affordable housing, education or the environment, these issues depend on your vote, and&nbsp;our ability to report on them depends on your support.So, if you found value in our coverage,&nbsp;

In other words, its ostensible use is as a thermometer, according to the city’s spending justification, though HPD says it can do more.“It sounds absolutely ridiculous,” said Katrina Langford, a Haleiwa mother of two who has struggled to get rental assistance after she and her husband lost their jobs.“I could think of a lot of better things to do with that money. It seems like people are taking temperatures everywhere and they don’t need robots to do it.”HPD rejected a Civil Beat request to interview a department official about the purchase. Instead, Deputy Chief John McCarthy issued an...

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Christina Jedra

civilbeat.org

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Honolulu Police Spent $150,000 In CARES Funds On A Robot Dog

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