That? Police officers equipped with technological backpacks that stop escapes and chases by pressing a button? It seems like the plot of a mix between "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Ghostbusters", but instead it could soon be the reality of British law enforcement.
His Majesty's engineers are in fact designing a very special device, capable of stopping electric vehicles remotely by emitting powerful electromagnetic pulses. Stuff that would make the Ghostbusters pale.
Real crimes, movie weapons
Yep, crime isn't what it used to be. The criminals have sniffed out the business of electric vehicles: battery-powered scooters, motorbikes and bikes, silent, fast and super agile. Ideal for carrying out thefts and robberies, and then running away without the slightest noise. A real headache for Scotland Yard and its partners, who no longer know how to catch hi-tech scoundrels. And who will you call? No, I'm joking.
The Ministry of Defense is taking care of restoring order to the streets of the Kingdom. The brains at the Military Science and Technology Laboratory have set to work to create the ultimate anti-electrical leak weapon. A weapon that, guys, reminds me too much of Ghostbusters. Sorry, there's nothing I can do about it.
Anti-escape “proton backpacks”.
Just like the legendary device of Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddemore, the device under study would be a real portable electromagnetic cannon, which can be easily slipped into a backpack. The policemen of the future will carry it with them during stakeouts, ready to go into action at the first suspicious slip.
No more exhausting chases through the city streets, no more dangers for passers-by. Just point the "proton backpack" at the vehicle of the unfortunate criminal and press the fateful button. A powerful electromagnetic pulse will hit the target, tricking the electric motor and causing it to go haywire. In a few seconds the vehicle will stop, immobilized by an invisible and unstoppable weapon.
It's not "Ghostbusters", but real life: there are risks to evaluate
The obstacles in the way of the electromagnetic cannon are different. For this reason, he explains Gavin Stephens (president of the National Council of British Police Chiefs) the device will not be in service any time soon. We need to make it effective and safe for both operators and the surrounding environment. Wouldn't we want to send citizens' computers and cell phones to waste every time the police have to catch a thief? There is a risk at this stage of development.
And then there is the ethical question and the fears of those who already imagine the specter of a technological Big Brother capable of eliminating our freedom of movement. As always, the line between imagination and reality becomes increasingly thin. I don't rule out the possibility that in the future agents will also patrol our cities with jet-packs and flying cars, as in Minority Report.
Because to defeat today's "ghosts", meanwhile, visionary ingenuity and courage are also needed. And don't cross the streams!
