Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Begins Year-Long Trial of AI-Powered Policing

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is at the front end of a year-long AI policing experiment, putting a completely autonomous, $200,000 squad car equipped with thermal imaging drones to the test. The so-called Police Unmanned Ground (PUG) Patrol Partner was developed and donated by Policing Lab and Perrone Robotics.

“For us, it’s a way that we can touch our community in a way we really have never done before,” said Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz. “We are setting the standard for what will be the future of law enforcement in this country.”

The SUV comes on a Ford Explorer platform, fitted with 360-degree cameras, thermal sensors, license plate readers, and a rooftop drone dock. The setup allows it to roam preset routes, collect data, and stream real-time intelligence to command centers. A human officer will still sit in the front seat for the time being… just in case the robot decides to get too creative.

“It has the capability to identify folks that are in a restricted area that are hiding in shrubbery, or in an overwatch position, [like] someone on a rooftop,” explained Edward Prokop, Police Lab’s strategic site advisor.

The first PUG was donated, but any future models will run between $150,000 and $200,000 each. The county insists the technology could eventually free up officers for more critical duties, though for now, the car won’t be allowed on highways or engage in high-speed pursuits.

Policing Lab assures that no taxpayer money was used to develop the prototype or get the first one into action, but future models will run the PD anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000. Future adoption will depend on public feedback and a successful trial, expected to last around 12 months.

The debut comes amid a national debate over AI and accountability, particularly as autonomous systems creep from cars into law enforcement. Claims of improved efficiency underpin supporters’ arguments, while others view it as a step toward policing with minimal oversight. Given the current state of AI driving, there’s solid evidence for both.

FMI: www.miamidade.gov