Police

Drones may be seeing more use by police forces, but they're still limited by short flight times, and the need for certified operators. Tech company Axon has set out to address the problem, by leveraging the existing Fotokite tethered drone.

Although the bulletproof shields used by police officers are definitely life-savers, the things are also quite heavy and bulky. The origami-inspired Swift Shield offers an alternative, as it folds down into a lightweight package when not in use.

Although Tasers are an effective alternative to the use of lethal force by police officers, getting shot by one is still quite a painful experience. That's where the BolaWrap 100 comes in – when fired at a "difficult" suspect, it simply ties them up.

Earlier this year, Delfast announced the powerful Top 2.0 e-bike, and has now designed a special edition for US police departments called the Top Cop, with 174 miles of range and a top speed of 50 mph.

Continuing the pushback against facial recognition technology, California has passed a law banning the tech in connection with data gathered by police body cameras.

San Francisco has become the first city in the US to entirely ban local government and law enforcement uses of facial recognition technology. Although the ordinance is currently limited in its reach, it does strictly regulate the future deployment of all kinds of surveillance technology.

The City of London police force recently began equipping some of its frontline officers with Tasers. The move was the first of its kind in England and Wales, and criminologists used the shift to carry out a major experiment on how the public respond to visibly armed officers.

​If you like free money, one illegal way of getting it is to falsely claim that you bought an item which got stolen, so your insurance will cover the cost of a new one. You'll have to fill out a police report, however, and you could soon be caught out by software that detects bogus reports.

2018 is fast becoming the year that facial recognition technology finally hits the mainstream with a constant torrent of stories revealing the growing use of these systems by law enforcement agencies. But some people are now asking if they violate civil liberties.

​In police work, it's important to be able to prove that what you suspect is a narcotic really IS a narcotic. It is with this in mind that Spectral Engines is creating a portable drug-screening device. It's described as "the first re-usable pocket-sized scanner for police patrols."

Three police forces – Devon, Cornwall and Dorset​ – have teamed up to create the UK's first dedicated drone unit that will provide 24/7 support to operational policing across the three counties.

With the prospect of robot police officers hitting our streets, it's worth taking a moment to look at the current state of affairs, where we're headed, and whether it's a good idea to give robots guns.