Ford adds Surveillance Mode to squad cars, alerts cops to unexpected humans
For many police officers, their cruiser's front seat is often their office -- but a parked car isn't always a safe car. With Surveillance Mode, Ford hopes to keep your city's finest a little safer in the heat of the night. By combining its existing driver-assist tech -- backup cameras, power door locks and cross-traffic alerts -- the Dearborn automaker has devised a system to signal officers of a potential attack from behind. When a potential assailant crosses into the rear camera's viewing range, Surveillance Mode sounds a chime, the windows roll up and the doors lock. This ought to give officers valuable extra time to apprise the situation at hand. It may not be a tumbler, but it's a start.
Oh, and don't fret about your local black and white's sanity: Surveillance Mode can be deactivated at will, so gaggles of pedestrians won't set off the alarm every five minutes.
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DEARBORN, Mich., July 19, 2013 – A new technology available for Ford Police Interceptor will provide an additional measure of security for law enforcement officers by mitigating their risk of being snuck up on from the rear while working in their vehicles, especially at night.
The new surveillance mode technology works by using existing Ford driver-assist technologies – a backup camera, cross-traffic alert and reverse park assist – to give police officers added situational awareness and a first line of defense from potential assailants.
When an officer activates the system with the vehicle in park, the backup camera, combined with sensors that detect blind spots and parking obstacles, continually monitors the area to the rear of the vehicle. Surveillance mode can be turned off in situations such as curbside urban settings where pedestrians would constantly set the alarm off.
The patent-pending idea is the brainchild of Randy Freiburger, Ford police and ambulance fleet supervisor. Freiburger spent many hours riding along with police officers and saw firsthand the dangers officers face in the course of routine patrols and investigations.
"I can tell you from personal experience at night that officer security is a critical concern," says Freiburger. "Unfortunately, there are people with bad intentions who sneak up on police officers. This system builds upon the Ford Police Interceptor DNA that puts safety and security at the top of the list."
Officers have to write reports, monitor an in-car computer or radar gun, and perform other tasks while sitting in their vehicle. Surveillance mode gives them an extra set of eyes to help guard against threats – especially at night when visibility is compromised.
Ford collaborated with Intermotive Inc. of Auburn, Calif., which developed and will sell the surveillance mode system along with several other innovative law enforcement products. The system can be installed at Crown, the facility near Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant where lights and other accessories are added, or at local upfitters by working directly with Intermotive.
Surveillance mode is available for the 2014 Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle.
For more information on Ford Police Interceptor, visit the Ford Police Interceptor site.
For more information on Intermotive, visit http://www.intermotive.net.
