Wichita Police Robotic Dog Procurement Records

Public Records & Civil Rights Project, Inc. has obtained records relating to the acquisition and procurement of robotic canine technology and related robotic law-enforcement equipment associated with the Wichita Police Department.
The records include procurement-related materials, contracts, purchase documentation, and records associated with robotic systems manufactured by Boston Dynamics.
These records raise broader public-interest questions regarding:

• government spending and procurement transparency,
• operational use of robotic law-enforcement technologies,
• ongoing software and maintenance expenditures,
• training and deployment policies,
• grant or funding sources,
• and public oversight of emerging surveillance and tactical technologies.

As law-enforcement agencies increasingly adopt advanced robotic systems, public access to procurement and operational records becomes important for transparency, accountability, and informed public discussion.
The records published below are provided for public education, research, and transparency purposes.
Documents currently available include:

• Deferred Council item PDF
  • City Council agenda materials
  • Funding/bonding recrods
  • Operational justification
  • Training references
  • Procurement approval records
• Fully Executed Contract PDF
  • Vender contracts
  • Contract addendums
  • Warranty/service provisions
  • Equipment scope/specifications
• Purchase Order PDF
  • Purchase orders
  • Procurement records
  • Vendor/payment documentation
• Boston Dynamis Robotic Dog PDF
  • Council/approval/funding materials
  • Operational analysis
  • Procurement justification

• Additional Police Robotic Dog PDF
  • Council/approval/funding materials
  • Operational analysis
  • Procurement justification

Key Findings From Released Records

Records obtained through the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) indicate that the Wichita Police Department pursued acquisition of Boston Dynamics SPOT robotic systems for SWAT and Bomb Squad operations.

Released records indicate:

• the procurement involved RADeCO, Inc. as the vendor/distributor for the robotic systems,
• the project was justified as a de-escalation and officer-safety initiative,
• the systems were intended for high-risk incident response and tactical operations,
• records reference testing, trial usage, market research, and consultation with other agencies,
• WPD personnel reportedly participated in site visits, technical training, and robotics-related evaluations,
• the procurement was processed under a City Code procurement/security exception,
• and project funding references ranged from approximately $630,000 to $650,000 depending on the document reviewed.

The records also reference robotic payloads and accessories including thermal imaging, manipulation arms, radio systems, gas detection equipment, and related operational hardware.

At the time of publication, the released records reviewed by Public Records & Civil Rights Project, Inc. primarily consist of procurement, funding, and approval-related materials. Additional operational policies, deployment records, maintenance records, and related communications may still be pending or subject to additional requests.