The City of Bend is proposing a new security measure for the downtown Centennial Parking Garage. It’s an autonomous security robot meant to deter suspicious activity and criminal mischief.
“It’s pre-programmed. It’s traveling a random route every night all the levels of the garage. It comes back. It monitors through security cameras, microphones, sensors to find its way,” Parking Services Division Manager for the City of Bend Tobias Marx said.
The security bot is built by the company Knightscope.
Marx says the robot will be cheaper for the city to employ, rather than installing more security cameras and hiring an in-person security presence.
He says the city is currently paying $2,000 a month for security patrols of the garage. Marx says the robot will cost $1,700-$1,800 a month.
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Bend Police say it’s a location where they receive a significant number of calls.
“I would say it’s in the top 40 addresses that we see. Obviously there’s tons of addresses in town, but 12 calls a month is not insignificant, but it’s not an incredible amount,” Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.
Miller says most of the calls involve criminal mischief such as vandalism, car racing and loitering. Other reports include quality of life and traffic related concerns of tires squealing and cars speeding.
Jackalope Grill owner Laura Bliss, has experienced the issues firsthand. The restaurant’s outdoor dining patio lies beneath the roof of the garage.
“A soda can or a cup, they’ll toss it over. This is during service when we have people dining out here. The previous owners experienced a lawn chair being thrown over and it landed on a table. No one was hurt, but that was very very scary,” Bliss said.
The robot is only being proposed. It is not yet guaranteed to patrol the garage.
