The Henderson Police Department could have a new tool in its complement of resources to help law enforcement officers as they work to keep the community – and themselves – safe. Chief Marcus Barrow said the remote-control robot would be something that other agencies in the region would be able to use, too.

He and the department are always looking for new tools to help mitigate situations, and when he saw a grant opportunity to pay for it, he applied. “So far, everything’s looking good,” he said. If all goes according to plan, Barrow said the robot could be ready for use in early spring 2023.

The grant, from the Governor’s Crime Commission, would cover $24,500 of the $25,500 price tag for the Vantage robot, which has climbing capability, a camera that can live-stream and an arm that can manipulate objects. If the department is awarded the grant, the city would have to find the additional $1,000.

Its most practical use, Barrow said, probably would be in a hazardous materials situation. “We take hazmat courses every year,” he said, “and we’re warned about the stuff that travels up and down I-85 and in our city.” Having a robot that could be sent close a wreck scene, for example, would help keep officers from being exposed to harmful materials.

With any other piece of equipment, the timeline would involve training and getting handlers used to how the robot works. “I would like it to be here and deployable as quickly as possible,” Barrow said, adding that it would be an added benefit to other agencies in the region, not just for the city’s use. He said once multiple people are trained on using it, the robot would be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Technology increasingly plays a role in the work of law enforcement, and Barrow said a recent grant for body-worn cameras was awarded to the department. But it’s a 50 percent match, and now he’ll be looking for that match. It’s a big expenditure, and Barrow said he “didn’t feel our local citizens should foot that bill” for the entire amount. But with matching grant funds identified, he said the body cameras may be something on the horizon for local police officers, and he added that he planned to go before the city council shortly to request those matching funds.

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Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow will welcome a new officer to the department soon. It’s a Labrador retriever, trained and ready for service.

Barrow said the police department first started using K-9 units in the early ‘90s, and there were two dogs in service until last year.

“We went from two to none there pretty quick,” Barrow told John C. Rose on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! segment.

This breed of dog will be a first for the department, which previously used either Malanois or German Shepherds. The dogs have a trainer/handler and require a special vehicle to support the animal while it’s working.

When Barrow got a call from the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agency about the 4-year-old lab that was available, he jumped on it.

“We actually went up there and watched it work, and we liked it,” Barrow said. And he got a pretty good deal – sale price $1. There is also a K-9 vehicle at ALE that Barrow hopes will be coming his way. This expenditure will be made with money from asset forfeiture funds, used strictly for police department needs, he added.

There is money in the latest police budget for purchase of two animals, and Barrow said they’ve already purchased one pup who will be ready to begin his training soon.

The K-9 officer that just had his animal retire last year is set to leave very shortly to meet and train the dog – and himself.
Barrow said the handler will simultaneously be training the new dog while completing his own certification as a trainer.

So when Dog #3 joins next spring, he will be able to train another officer to become that dog’s K-9 handler.

In some additional police matters, Barrow said he feels confident that his department will be approved for at least one of the grants that it has applied for, and either one would be a good addition for him and his officers. One grant is for the purchase of 52 body-worn cameras for police officers and a second grant is for equipping cruisers with additional cameras.

As was shared with the City Council when he sought approval to proceed with the grant requests, the cost is less in the price of the cameras, but in the equipment needed to properly store the data the cameras generate. Some data needs to be stored for a short period – say, 90 days – and some data needs to be stored permanently.

“I have strong feelings that I’ll get one or the other, or even both” Barrow said. He said the police department has enjoyed a good relationship with grant providers in the past. “I don’t know how we could survive without them,” he said of the funding opportunities.

Barrow said the city council also approved use of asset forfeiture funds to install a gate, fencing and shrubbery around the new outdoor pavilion outside McGregor Hall.

Cost for the project is about $30,000, although Barrow said he was still waiting for a few quotes. The 15 or so public parking spaces will go away to allow for a ramp to be built off the pavilion. The ramp is needed for unloading and loading equipment when there are performances at the pavilion, he said.

The project will help protect the pavilion and will create a buffer between that area and the police department.

“I needed something that could go up and down constantly, so we’re going with a hydraulic system,” Barrow said, kind of like the gates you’d see in big city parking lots.