Cops had their fill of tech and gadgets during the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference (IACP) in Chicago. The annual event, which ran from Oct. 24 to 27, is considered by many to be a sort of equivalent of the Consumer Electronics Show for the police, showcased the latest technologies in policing, from strange patrol cars and advanced surveillance systems, to cutting-edge gyrocopters.
Conventional technologies demonstrated at the IACP included new software systems that complement emergent trends in police equipment such as the VuVault, which can both power body camera and in-car systems, Market Wired reported. There are also small computers and wireless technologies that help cops become more efficient and operative.
Odd cars, however, became the highlight of the IACP. Usually, tactical vehicles are bulky and heavily armored. But those showcased in the event were exotic and downright strange. For example, there was the case of the TerraHawk, a utility surveillance tower that can supposedly revolutionize the way U.S.-Mexican border is patrolled, according to iTech Post.
See it in action in the video below.
The IACP also showcased green and electric vehicles. There was a Tesla Model S sports car converted into a patrol vehicle on display, and a bizarre-looking police bike called Sentinel PMV, manufactured by Las Vegas-based Xtreme Green Products, that was 100 percent electric.
Two advanced gyrocopters were also featured. These were already being used in a pilot program by the Department of Justice in Somerset County, Ky., according to The Verge.
