Will robot police dogs soon patrol Hong Kong streets?

New police commissioner aims at more robots and cameras

With the aim of reducing manpower, the incoming Hong Kong police commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming is actively looking at deploying robot dogs and linking existing surveillance camera networks.

“We are researching whether robots can be used to catch thieves, perform other types of work or go out on patrol together, this is the direction we are heading in,” he told the South China Morning Post.

“In the short term, a pilot scheme will be launched to use drones for some high-altitude patrols, or in some rural areas, potentially border areas which are further away.”

Robot dogs already in use in China and the US

Several mainland provinces in China currently deploy robot dogs for policing purposes to enhance efficiency. So-called “Spot” robot dogs have also been in use in the US since 2023.

Chow also wants to step up the number of surveillance cameras under a project named “Smartview”. Ultimately, he would like to access surveillance data from existing camera systems from other government departments, such as those in smart lamp posts.

Chow has previously said that instilling a sense of duty in Hong Kong residents to encourage them to defend national security in their daily lives was one of the three primary goals of his tenure.

(Michel Leahy. Source: South China Morning Post/USA Today. Photo: )