Round Rock police use robot during SWAT calls

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock Police are using a tool to keep officers and the public safer during what could be dangerous situations.

What they're saying:

When SWAT is called out, seconds matter and so does distance. Round Rock Police have a teammate built to take the first step, so officers don’t have to.

"We can see what's going on in a given situation without putting officers in that situation," Sgt Justin Griffith said.

Operators control it from a distance. When the robot rolls in, it starts sending information back to them.

"It has several cameras and microphones on it that are feeding real-time intelligence back. And then that operator can also communicate back through a series of speakers and a headset to anybody involved in the incident downrange," Sgt. Griffith said.

The robot can open doors, pick up objects, climb stairs, and can even flip itself upright if it tips.

"There's some versatility in what it can do and some of it's up to the creativity and knowledge of the operator and how to manipulate objects that it comes across," Sgt. Griffith said.

MORE CRIMEWATCH

• New Texas laws aimed at stopping squatters, speeding up eviction process
• APD responds to claims it did not verify registered sex offender's information for years
• Man wanted for murder found hiding in Austin homeless camp; Victim's sister speaks out

For the SWAT team, it is more than technology, it is protection.

"We pull our robots out for these critical incidents where there's an increased danger to either officers or the public or the person involved in the incident,’ Sgt. Griffith said. ‘If we can put a piece of equipment in place of a human being and maybe put that equipment at risk of being damaged in lieu of any humans being injured, that's one of the most important factors for how we make these decisions."

He said usually people comply and cooperate. They have utilized the robot for several years.