Ford Introduces Warning System against Approaches

Police officers will now be safer via the new system Ford has invented that will automatically sound an alarm, lock the doors, and put the windows up if it detects a person sneaking from behind the car. Ford said that the system is the first of its kind and the company is currently applying for a patent.

Ford named the system Surveillance Mode. It lets the officer use the warning system while the car is parked. It uses cameras and sensors that beam an image to the rearview mirror. This way, the police officer can keep an eye on what’s going on behind his car.

If a person closes too near the car, the sensors attached to the rear bumper will detect the movement. The Surveillance Mode works during day and night. It can be turned off if the car is parked in a crowded area with lots of pedestrians.

InterMotive is selling the Surveillance Mode for around $250 as an option for patrol cars. It is down to $75 when part of a package with other options, such as dimmer for the interior lights if the officer doesn’t want to be seen inside and a system that turns down the volume of the radio once a call come through the two-way radio. If the car doesn’t have a backup camera, the system can utilize the sensors.

Surveillance Mode is created by Randy Freiburger, an engineer from Ford. He works with police and ambulance customers to ensure that the company’s vehicles are performing well in the field. He got the idea when he went for a ride with Yoon Nam, a deputy of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department last August.

Nam said that she often work alone when patrolling. When she has a suspect detained in her car, the suspect’s family members or friends would go near her car. She added that police officers are trained to look up and around all the time but the extra feature could help.