Answer Man: Do APD, Buncombe Sheriff have any tactical robots?

Ryan Oehrli, Asheville Citizen Times
·3 min read

Today's burning question asks whether the Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff's Office have certain tech on hand. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Interim Executive Editor Karen Chávez at kchavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: The ACT recently ran a follow-up article on the tragic mass shooting in Raleigh. The article indicated that the suspect was captured by a tactical robot that was deployed by local law enforcement. Do the Asheville City Police and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office have a tactical robot?

Answer: Asheville police have a tactical robot that is required to meet their bomb squad accreditation, APD spokesperson Samantha Booth said.

That was the extent of APD's answer. But the department recently said it would use asset forfeiture funds to pay for a new bomb robot and replace another that was at the end of its life.

"We use a robot for a lot of activities that might be too dangerous, especially when we're exploring old barns and things like that, and having to unwrap sticks of dynamite," Capt. Joe Silberman, who heads the bomb squad, said at an Aug. 23 Public Safety Committee meeting. "Having a very nimble robot is very important."

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At the time, police were equipped with a 20-year-old ANDROS F6 robot, Silberman said. They were asking for approval to use asset forfeiture funds, in part, to buy a new one: a Caliber Flex Bomb Robot from Icor Technology.

Some of the features that robot has, which are listed in a document prepared by the department for the committee, are:

  • A lift capacity of 80 pounds.

  • A remote capability of more than 300 yards from line of sight.

  • Simultaneous, flexible and precision controls.

  • A 3D avatar that offers real-time positional feedback on the robot's position.

  • Lasers with integrated LIDAR distance sensor.

Such robots have been used dozens of times a year, especially during election years, Silberman said in August. He added that they're something APD can use across Western North Carolina, helping more than just Asheville residents. They prove useful for suspicious packages, hazardous materials disposal and other things, the department said in its document.

The Caliber Flex Bomb Robot from Icor Technology, which APD said it intended to purchase last August.
The Caliber Flex Bomb Robot from Icor Technology, which APD said it intended to purchase last August.

Presumably, that's the bomb robot APD has now, or the one that they're planning to upgrade to since they were approved for asset forfeiture funds, and that was one of the main purchases they cited.

The Asset Forfeiture Program is an "equitable sharing program which divides the illegal proceeds from criminal activities between the state and federal governments and local law enforcement agencies," according to a document prepared by APD. "It is designed to help offset the considerable cost of drug enforcement, and other applicable joint investigations by allowing local law enforcement agencies to use seized monies for equipment, training, and improvements that might not necessarily be budgeted for by the agency."

Asheville police had $419,214.47 in shared asset forfeiture funding, which had been collected but not added to the budget for use. It is unclear how much of that was earmarked for the robot.

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As for the Sheriff's Office, they do not have a tactical robot.

"We do not have tactical robots but we do have small drones that are occasionally deployed for search and rescue in partnership with Broad River Fire and Rescue," Sheriff's Office spokesperson Christina Esmay told me.

"As our mission of being a leader in community policing and procedural justice continues into the New Year we are always looking for new and groundbreaking ways to provide the highest level of service and safety to our community and remain open to all suggestions," she added.

Ryan Oehrli covers public safety for the Citizen Times. Comments? Question? Tips? Send them to coehrli@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Do Asheville police, Buncombe Sheriff have any tactical robots?