SPPD adds robot featured in Super Bowl to the force
February 15, 2022 - There is a new crime dog in town, and it goes by the name of Spot. Spot is actually a robot that resembles a dog, and just one day after spot was featured in a Sam Adams beer commercial during the Super Bowl, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway introduced it as the newest member of the department’s SWAT team. Designed by Boston Dynamics, Spot is outfitted with several cameras and an intercom system. The robot can open doors and survey a dangerous area while officers are at a safe distance, and the intercom allows officers to communicate with any perpetrators or victims. Spot is sturdy and can run up to four miles an hour, and officers control the robot through what looks like a video game controller. Funding for Spot was donated by local residents, and St. Pete is one of only three agencies in the country to have the robot on its force.