Police surveillance tower put up on the main street of my city...

[GunnyFreedom]

here's one being deployed in New York City...a cop in the comments seems very proud of it....

New York:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jag9889/3066091087/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72131699@N00/3744265813/

California:
being used in conjunction with a suspicion-less checkstop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr38/3384444212/

New Orleans:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcschafer/397285795/

 

[TheEvilDetector]

Is it just me or did the police force accidentally mistake the public streets as borders of a giant concentration camp needing watch towers?

 

[Expatriate]

Marketing Video for the Skywatch Tower

Video demonstration, complete with upbeat, cheerful music:

YouTube - SkyWatch™ Manned Mobile Surveillance System

Apparently it's a lot roomier inside than I thought, three people can fit in there!

Here's what I learned about it from the video:


-Can hold 3 guards, or "800 lbs of payload" in the control cabin.

-NIJ Level IV armor plating "capable of stopping 7.62x51mm armor-piercing rifle rounds."

-100 gallon fuel tank, generator can operate tower at full power for 5 days on one fill.

-Equipped with day/night IR thermal cameras with full 360 degree field of view.

-Tinted windows to prevent enemies from seeing where the guards are looking.

-Currently on duty at US military facilities worldwide.

-Full air-conditioning, heating and cooling.

-Control cabin measures 6 feet by 5 feet internally.

-Spotlights on all 4 sides of the unit.

-GFI plugin allowing laptop control from the control center.

-Built in weather station

-Observation height of 25 feet

-DVR recording system.

-Loudspeaker PA system that can broadcast from all 4 sides of the unit.

 

[Expatriate]

The original concept design...

Not many know this, but the designers originally envisioned a self-propelled, walking version,
dubbed the Anti Terrorist Safety Tower (AT-ST).

...but it kept getting tripped by midgets wearing teddy-bear costumes so it was made stationary.

However, the designers think an upcoming 4-legged version might solve those problems.



.

 

[Uriel999]

looks like a good tree stand. lower it, put a tarp over it, hide it someplace far away, and get into hunting. lol, you'll be hunting in comfort!

 

[Mach]

Attention all planets of the Solar Federation........................

 

[devil21]

So for academic discussion purposes, what appears to be these machine's weaknesses?

1. I see that the raising and lowering is done hydraulically so taking out the hydraulic lines will prevent up and down movement.

2. Notice in the picture above it uses wheel chocks so I assume there's no braking mechanism. Get the chocks out and raise the "feet" and it's suddenly a 30 foot tall rolling uncontrollable death trap.

3. The cameras likely aren't armored so a few good shots can knock those out and the tinted windows are probably fairly useless in the dark, hence why they need IR cameras in the first place.

Any others?

 

[Texan4Life]

So for academic discussion purposes, what appears to be these machine's weaknesses?

1. I see that the raising and lowering is done hydraulically so taking out the hydraulic lines will prevent up and down movement.

2. Notice in the picture above it uses wheel chocks so I assume there's no braking mechanism. Get the chocks out and raise the "feet" and it's suddenly a 30 foot tall rolling uncontrollable death trap.

3. The cameras likely aren't armored so a few good shots can knock those out and the tinted windows are probably fairly useless in the dark, hence why they need IR cameras in the first place.

Any others?

i doubt the genset, hydraulic and fuel tank are armored.

these things are for show IMO

 

[Texan4Life]

lol.. someone should put tinted windows on their deer stand and put next to them

 

[devil21]

i doubt the genset, hydraulic and fuel tank are armored.

these things are for show IMO

...until they're not.

 

[pikerz]

sweeeet, mobile prison grid.

are they going to add mobile barbed wire fences so we have something to climb while they are shooting us in the back?

 

[TheEvilDetector]

sweeeet, mobile prison grid.

are they going to add mobile barbed wire fences so we have something to climb while they are shooting us in the back?

Tragic LOLs from me.

 

[Srg1]

So for academic discussion purposes, what appears to be these machine's weaknesses?

1. I see that the raising and lowering is done hydraulically so taking out the hydraulic lines will prevent up and down movement.

2. Notice in the picture above it uses wheel chocks so I assume there's no braking mechanism. Get the chocks out and raise the "feet" and it's suddenly a 30 foot tall rolling uncontrollable death trap.

3. The cameras likely aren't armored so a few good shots can knock those out and the tinted windows are probably fairly useless in the dark, hence why they need IR cameras in the first place.

Any others?

50 cal, 30-06 i think will go though the armor maybe not 30-06 but definitely the windows.Also paintbombs so they cant see out of them.Just keep taking pot shots at the windows with 223 5.56 7.62 any high power rifle round ,the glass will eventually fail.

 

[Expatriate]

New video

Here's the Skywatch police tower and a bunch of other totally awesome products ICX is introducing for law enforcement.


And I have to admit, the music really gets you pumped up for the police state!


YouTube - ICx Technologies 2009 Show Reel

 

[TheEvilDetector]

Here's the Skywatch police tower and a bunch of other totally awesome products ICX is introducing for law enforcement.


And I have to admit, the music really gets you pumped up for the police state!


YouTube - ICx Technologies 2009 Show Reel

Our overlords are gearing up. Their power is not to be questioned.

 

[Expatriate]

Umm, ICX is also developing pop-up robot gun turrets?

Our overlords are gearing up. Their power is not to be questioned.

I for one would like to welcome our new robotic, machine gun turreted overlords...

Does anyone know which airport this is at? It almost sounds like the gun turrets are controlled by an AI, rather than a human.

Oh, and according to their site, there are "lethal" versions of that 4-wheeled robot available.

YouTube - JFPASS - Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System

 

[puppetmaster]

308 API will penetrate....

 

[Don't Tread on Mike]

Looks like the drunk driver who brought it there left his 30pack behind

 

[Reason]

More militarization...

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=253295

 

[Fredom101]

Police surveillance tower put up on the main street of my city.

I called the police dept to ask about it and was refused any specific information as to why it was placed there.

I was told that it is there for "a reason" and is a major deterrent to crime so why should I have a problem with it?

Here are some pics of what it looks like that I found online.

I will take some pics of it in person when I get a chance.

According to this article

These were designed for deployed military forces.

Oh, and in case you hadn't guessed already... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PAID FOR IT (THE OFFICER ON THE PHONE SPECIFICALLY TOLD ME THIS AND SOUNDED PROUD TO SAY IT)

Yep, they have one of those on one of the main streets with bars in my town on friday and saturday nights. It's horrifying.