Henry County SWAT unit to get help from robots

The Henry County Police Department is getting two robots to help keep flesh-and-blood officers out of harm’s way. The Board of Commissioners votes Oct. 6 to approve a $68,400 expenditures for two Transcend Tactical VANTAGE 3 robots with accessories for the police department’s SWAT team, which has been involved in recent years in several violent incident which required the use of robots borrowed from other agencies.

According to officials, these machines will “provide real-time information, communication and officer safety when dealing with violent individuals who intend to harm law enforcement personnel and others.” They are waterproof and equipped with heat sensors and night vision.