Milwaukee, the city not the power tool company, has released a new tool that will hit the streets soon to help police fight crime. The unique vehicle is being unveiled Tuesday is an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) dubbed the “Rhino”, named for its reinforced frame donated by a security firm. This new armored vehicle is the latest tool in the local law enforcement’s tool arsenal. What we’re wondering of course, is how do we classify this as an actual “power tool” and how quickly can we get one to review?
Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan says it’s the product of Operation Impact, a privately funded initiative allowing additional police presence in some south-side neighborhoods. We call it genius… if police drove these down the hood in our area, we think drug trafficking and neighborhood crime would drop significantly… or at least move to a different location.
The “tool” features tons of cameras on the front, back and sides that are protected and allow literally 360 degrees of coverage. It also has the ability to transmit both still and moving video images wirelessly to laptops, including stations inside the MPV itself. The shell is reinforced, making it extremely tough and a reinforced front grill means that nobody is going to run this vehicle off the road anytime soon.
Donovan says the vehicle won’t just catch crimes in progress, but will stop them before they happen. While some welcome the additional presence others aren’t sure. As for privacy issues, Donovan says Rhino’s natural habitat is focused on the city streets and public areas. Of course the ACLU of Wisconsin says it’s concerned about what safeguards will be in place to prevent cameras from looking into private spaces. Perhaps they haven’t been aware of public photography laws which have been in existence since cameras were invented… Those concerns will be addressed during a news conference for the vehicle scheduled for August 10th.
We want one. There’s no good reason or purpose in our minds, but with a big fat Pro Tool Reviews logo across it and the back stuffed full of power tools, how can we lose?
