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Montco DA's Office Acquires High Tech Tool To Help Protect Crime Fighting Officers

By Brad Segall

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office now has a high tech tool in its crime fighting arsenal designed to save the lives of law enforcement officers across the county.

In a hostage or crisis situation many times police need to assess the situation but don't want to get too close fearing their safety. WM Robots of Colmar has donated a $100,000 mobile robot to the DA's office for use by the county's eight SWAT teams.

DA Risa Ferman says it's an all-terrain piece of equipment with the capability of capturing audio and video from a crime scene.

"So the robot itself serves as an officer going into that scene, getting eyes and ears on a situation and the live officers can stand back so that they don't put themselves in harm's way but they can actually see what's happening."

All too often she says it's the criminals who are well equipped with technology. This robot she says will allow them to get ahead of them or at least stay on par.

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