Robot to aid in police standoffs

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - The Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety's new crime fighting tool is a NERD.

The tool is a robot nicknamed NERD that they say could save the lives of officers.

The Negotiations Emergency Response Droid, or NERD, is designed to go into dangerous situations so officers don't have to.

On Thursday, members of the crisis negotiation team trained with NERD and learned how to use it to their advantage.

The robot's job is to get close to a person who is in a standoff with police, either holding someone hostage or threatening to kill themselves.

The robot is armed with a camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, so officers can communicate with the individual.

There's even a space on NERD where officers can attach something to the robot, like a pack or cigarettes or something else the suspect is asking for during negotiations.

"Its a lifesaver for us because we're not putting officers in danger, it can go through pretty much any kind of terrain, we can see what we need to see through camera operating it through a laptop computer," Rio Rancho DPS Officer John Francis said.

The department paid for the $5,000 robot by using a grant and money donated by businesses.

The department hasn't had to use the robot in a situation yet.