Sheriff's Deputy Cruises in High Tech, Talking Car

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- There's a new high tech car on the road, and it's the only one like it in the state. It's an Oklahoma County Sheriff's Deputy vehicle, and it understands English and actually talks back.

When Deputy Jacob Streeter gets in his car, and turns on the siren, he doesn't look down searching for a switch, he just simply says ‘Emergency signals, emergency signals, yelp, yelp,' and the siren starts sounding.

"Like the Knight Rider car, the Kit car would be how I would describe it to somebody who doesn't know anything about this car," Deputy Streeter said.

The patrol car follows vocal instructions. It understands how to switch radio frequencies, turn on the lights, run the radar and do anything the deputy needs.

"It's not too hard to operate. You tell it to do something and it does it," the deputy said.

The car can't start itself. It still needs a key to turn on, so no one can steal it. The car can also run license plates and check to see if someone has warrants, all through specific vocal commands. Deputy Streeter said it makes his job faster and safer.

"I can focus more on the roadway, clearing intersections, making sure there's no oncoming vehicles, more so then worrying about what button I can hit. I can just verbally tell it to do that," the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Deputy said.

Driving this car, Deputy Streeter is on the cutting edge of technology. He expects, in time, he won't be the only one in a ride like this.

"I like it. I'm glad to have this car," Deputy Streeter said. "I think there should be a lot more of them."

The Sheriff's Office did not pay any money for the equipment in the car. The company that makes it had them test it out, and then gave it to them.

Deputy Streeter said he doesn't call his car Kit, instead, he prefers the name Betsy.