In this conversation, Ed Prokop—former LAPD officer, Air Force OSI agent, and leader in autonomous policing innovation—breaks down the development of the nation’s first autonomous police vehicle, Pug. He shares how decades in law enforcement shaped his approach to persistent gaps in coverage, and how AI-driven patrol is being used to extend presence, increase deterrence, and support understaffed agencies. The conversation moves from what this technology actually is, to how it operates in real-world environments, and ultimately to the bigger questions around trust, privacy, and the future of security.

From Law Enforcement to Autonomous Policing
Timestamp: 00:00
How Ed Prokop’s 30+ year career across LAPD, federal training, and military service led to building an AI-powered patrol vehicle.
Background, the origin of Pug, and what autonomous policing actually means in practice—not a replacement for officers, but a new layer of operational support.

How Pug Works: Deterrence, AI, and Real-World Deployment
Timestamp: 03:54
What makes this system different from traditional surveillance or robotics.
Persistent patrol, delivering up to 17x more coverage, AI-powered sensors, real-time environmental awareness, and how the vehicle functions as a force multiplier in active security environments.

Trust, Ethics, and the Future of AI in Security
Timestamp: 13:03
The human side of deploying AI in public spaces.
Public perception, privacy concerns, data ownership, built-in guardrails, and why human oversight remains essential as this technology becomes more integrated into everyday security operations.

You can learn more about Ed’s work at
http://policinglab.org
You can explore Pug here
http://pugvehicle.com

You can learn more about our work at
ArcusGrp.com

This episode is sponsored by
https://www.f1rstfence.com/