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‘It scared them off’, Kansas City shoppers report less crime thanks to security robot patrolling strip mall (www.kctv5.com)

submitted 2 months ago by FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A sight previously thought to be science fiction is very real at a southeast Kansas City shopping center. Instead of a police officer, a security robot has been patrolling sidewalks and shoppers are taking notice.

Since Marshall the robot has been on the job, shoppers say the experiences have completely changed when they come to these stores. The robot can spend 23 hours a day monitoring the parking lot from all angles which gives people a new sense of protection and ease they don’t always have when out.

Marshall took over security at Brywood Centre in April. Before that, Karen White noticed a lot of trouble outside the shopping center.

“Sometimes it’d be concerning for your car like someone could take it or something,” White said.

Knowing now that Marshall is always watching, the risk of crime does not worry her or others as much.

“It made it very better, like you can’t be in the parking lot without seeing the robot,” White continued. “So, I think it scared them off.”

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[–] OpenStars@discuss.online 16 points 2 months ago (2 children)

"very better"? Anyway...

It won't last. Right now it's new, but ultimately it will become an actual initiation ritual to knock it down, or perhaps a harder version to steal something out from under its nose. It doesn't know who you are if you wear a mask (or stay out of its line or sight) and don't carry something broadcasting your IP.

This looks like just security theater.

Meanwhile, aren't cameras cheap? If let's say hundreds of those were sprinkled around, maybe behind an opaque substance so you could also put up 10-100x more of them but 9/10ths being fake, and you swap them around occasionally, that might not be perfect either but could work better than a robot offering a nice, easy, fun target to play with, just like in video games. (Nobody ever enjoys video games these days though, do they?)

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Be hilarious to put the thing up somewhere it can't get down from.

[–] OpenStars@discuss.online 1 points 2 months ago

It'll happen. Oh uh, I assume, I mean, yeah, totally that's what I mean... :-P