Police in Arizona Seek Monkey for SWAT Team

Springer45 · April 19, 2005, 06:24 PM

Apr 18, 10:12 PM (ET)

MESA, Ariz. (AP) - The Mesa Police Department is looking to add some primal instinct to its SWAT team. And to do that, it's looking to a monkey.

"Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it," said Mesa Officer Sean Truelove, who builds and operates tactical robots for the suburban Phoenix SWAT team. "It would change the way we do business."

Truelove is spearheading the department's request to purchase and train a capuchin monkey, considered the second smartest primate to the chimpanzee. The department is seeking about $100,000 in federal grant money to put the idea to use in Mesa SWAT operations.

The monkey, which costs $15,000, is what Truelove envisions as the ultimate SWAT reconnaissance tool.

Since 1979, capuchin monkeys have been trained to be companions for people who are quadriplegics by performing daily tasks, such as serving food, opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, retrieving objects and brushing hair.

Truelove hopes the same training could prepare a monkey for special-ops intelligence.

Weighing only 3 to 8 pounds with tiny humanlike hands and puzzle-solving skills, Truelove said it could unlock doors, search buildings and find suicide victims on command. Dressed in a Kevlar vest, video camera and two-way radio, the small monkey would be able to get into places no officer or robot could go.

It has been a little over a year since Truelove filed a grant proposal with the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and he is still waiting for word.

If the grant goes through, Truelove plans on learning how to train the monkey himself and keeping the sociable monkey at home, just like a K-9 officer would. He projects that $85,000 in grant money would outfit the monkey with gear and pay for veterinarian care, food and habitat for three years.

utaherrn · April 19, 2005, 06:41 PM

PETA will have a field day with this as they value the life on an animal over human beings.

IZinterrogator · April 19, 2005, 06:46 PM

Seriously, if you were a BG, what would you do if you saw a monkey peeking into the room you were holed up in?

Number 6 · April 19, 2005, 07:07 PM

Strangelove ? Or maybe Dr. Doolittle?

Yes, capuchin monkeys are intelligent and tiny, but $100,000! There have got to be more cost-effective purchases this department can make.

jburtonpdx · April 19, 2005, 07:26 PM

I had to double check the date... Nope its not April 1st still, hmmm

MeekAndMild · April 19, 2005, 07:54 PM

Hmmm. Little Meek and I were just talking about something similar. We wondered if you could train a monkey to climb up trees with a little chainsaw and cut the limbs from the top down. Using men it takes all day because you have to use safety ropes and follow OSHA regs. We calculated that it would only take 20 minutes for two monkeys to top a tree and cut it into three foot lengths from the top down, but it takes a crew of four men two hours to do the same thing.

The next step is we could train monkeys to make Nikes and Levis.

I wonder If we could get a government grant.

snacktrack · April 19, 2005, 08:05 PM

I think its a good idea actually in theory. No different from using horses, or dogs I think.

Now whether or not its right to keep monkeys in a human house, I dont think thats a good idea. They monkeys really need to be in a natural habitat I think.
I am a huge primate lover. They amaze me.

Sir William · April 19, 2005, 09:18 PM

Two-way radio? I am going out on a limb here, $1.00 for the Capuchin monkey. $99,999.00 for the animal interpreter. Actually I am not sure Truelove isn't wanting a capuccino maker.

faraway · April 19, 2005, 09:44 PM

Once again, our homeland security grants, hard at work.

FirstFreedom · April 19, 2005, 09:45 PM

Well, a thousand times more useful than the PDs that seek psychics, at least.

Springer45 · April 19, 2005, 10:07 PM

When they send Curious George in with an MP5 and flash/bang grenades, THAT'll be a story!

**Bud Helms** · April 19, 2005, 10:32 PM

Hmmm ... Firearms related? Nooooo.

Legal or Political or Civil Liberties related? Well, almost.

Interesting? Yes.

Been here long enough to let anyone with the slightest possible interest to read/comment? Yes.

Firearms related? Nooooo.

Closed. Off topic.

April 19, 2005, 06:24 PM	#1
Springer45 Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Land of Sky Blue Waters Posts: 183	Police in Arizona Seek Monkey for SWAT Team Apr 18, 10:12 PM (ET) MESA, Ariz. (AP) - The Mesa Police Department is looking to add some primal instinct to its SWAT team. And to do that, it's looking to a monkey. "Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it," said Mesa Officer Sean Truelove, who builds and operates tactical robots for the suburban Phoenix SWAT team. "It would change the way we do business." Truelove is spearheading the department's request to purchase and train a capuchin monkey, considered the second smartest primate to the chimpanzee. The department is seeking about $100,000 in federal grant money to put the idea to use in Mesa SWAT operations. The monkey, which costs $15,000, is what Truelove envisions as the ultimate SWAT reconnaissance tool. Since 1979, capuchin monkeys have been trained to be companions for people who are quadriplegics by performing daily tasks, such as serving food, opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, retrieving objects and brushing hair. Truelove hopes the same training could prepare a monkey for special-ops intelligence. Weighing only 3 to 8 pounds with tiny humanlike hands and puzzle-solving skills, Truelove said it could unlock doors, search buildings and find suicide victims on command. Dressed in a Kevlar vest, video camera and two-way radio, the small monkey would be able to get into places no officer or robot could go. It has been a little over a year since Truelove filed a grant proposal with the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and he is still waiting for word. If the grant goes through, Truelove plans on learning how to train the monkey himself and keeping the sociable monkey at home, just like a K-9 officer would. He projects that $85,000 in grant money would outfit the monkey with gear and pay for veterinarian care, food and habitat for three years. __________________ If you have a 50-50 chance of being right, you'll be wrong 90% of the time.

April 19, 2005, 06:41 PM	#2
utaherrn Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2005 Location: Happy Valley, USA Posts: 645	sending a monkey in harm's way? PETA will have a field day with this as they value the life on an animal over human beings.

April 19, 2005, 06:46 PM	#3
IZinterrogator Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2004 Location: Huachuca City/Fort Huachuca, AZ Posts: 2,326	Seriously, if you were a BG, what would you do if you saw a monkey peeking into the room you were holed up in? __________________ "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!” - Samuel Adams

April 19, 2005, 07:07 PM	#4
Number 6 Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2002 Posts: 921	Is this guy Truelove or Strangelove ? Or maybe Dr. Doolittle? Yes, capuchin monkeys are intelligent and tiny, but $100,000! There have got to be more cost-effective purchases this department can make.

April 19, 2005, 07:54 PM	#6
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,992	Hmmm. Little Meek and I were just talking about something similar. We wondered if you could train a monkey to climb up trees with a little chainsaw and cut the limbs from the top down. Using men it takes all day because you have to use safety ropes and follow OSHA regs. We calculated that it would only take 20 minutes for two monkeys to top a tree and cut it into three foot lengths from the top down, but it takes a crew of four men two hours to do the same thing. The next step is we could train monkeys to make Nikes and Levis. I wonder If we could get a government grant. __________________ In a few years when the dust finally clears and people start counting their change there is a pretty good chance that President Obama may become known as The Great Absquatulator. You heard it first here on TFL.

April 19, 2005, 07:26 PM	#5
jburtonpdx Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2005 Posts: 268	I had to double check the date... Nope its not April 1st still, hmmm

April 19, 2005, 08:05 PM	#7
snacktrack Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Location: Wilmington DE Posts: 291	I think its a good idea actually in theory. No different from using horses, or dogs I think. Now whether or not its right to keep monkeys in a human house, I dont think thats a good idea. They monkeys really need to be in a natural habitat I think. I am a huge primate lover. They amaze me. __________________ S&W340PD w/ lg-305 CT grips S&W 1911PD commander w/ CT grips (on order, any day now!!) Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein My band's website: daughter darling

April 19, 2005, 09:18 PM	#8
Sir William Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2004 Posts: 3,264	Two-way radio? I am going out on a limb here, $1.00 for the Capuchin monkey. $99,999.00 for the animal interpreter. Actually I am not sure Truelove isn't wanting a capuccino maker.

April 19, 2005, 09:44 PM	#9
faraway Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2001 Location: ne montana Posts: 437	Once again, our homeland security grants, hard at work.

April 19, 2005, 09:45 PM	#10
FirstFreedom Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,455	Well, a thousand times more useful than the PDs that seek psychics, at least.

April 19, 2005, 10:07 PM	#11
Springer45 Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Land of Sky Blue Waters Posts: 183	When they send Curious George in with an MP5 and flash/bang grenades, THAT'll be a story! __________________ If you have a 50-50 chance of being right, you'll be wrong 90% of the time.

April 19, 2005, 10:32 PM	#12
Bud Helms Staff Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 10,553	Hmmm ... Firearms related? Nooooo. Legal or Political or Civil Liberties related? Well, almost. Interesting? Yes. Been here long enough to let anyone with the slightest possible interest to read/comment? Yes. Firearms related? Nooooo. Closed. Off topic. __________________ "The irony of the Information Age is that it has given new respectability to uninformed opinion." - John Lawton, speaking to the American Association of Broadcast Journalists in 1995