The Police New Weapon: EMP

[AngloDoom]

Dumbest, idea, ever. Fine, let's give em the EMP guns. And now let's wait for the bad guys to get their hands on it. Let's just sit and see what happens.

Under that logic, shouldn't we stop inventing stuff and go back to good ol' safe sticks and stones?

I was just worried if it could accidentally take out a whole row of traffic, and have everyone suddenly coasting along without the ability to avoid the traffic behind. Is this device particularly accurate? I'm having trouble with the video.

An EMP could cause a lot more damage than a gun or even a grenade ever could.

And a missile can cause even more. I don't understand your point.

Are you suggesting we should remove everything scary in the world in-case bad people get it?
I'm sorry, I honestly don't get it.

Wait, what? I'm just saying that a gun shooting an EMP could cause far more damage than a POLICE ISSUE GUN or whatever could do. Hell, even a grenade would have less an impact than an EMP gun on full settings. And if the cops are handed these for something as simple as car chases, I bet it's going to be easy to steal. Thus, giving crooks a very powerful weapon. Plus, I think that an EMP would make it a lot easier to rob places.

Again, I can't view the video, but I got the impression that this device is going to be issued inside of helicopters in the air. If the so-called 'crooks' have helicopters, I think it's a little late to worry about them getting their hands on something dangerous.

Also, can an EMP kill another EMP-device? Woah...mindfuck.


EDIT - Alright, my internet sped-up and I was finally able to view the video. True, they're hoping to turn it into a handgun (for some reason) but I'm not sure what your point is. I mean, I know it makes it easier for bad guys, but there's more good-guys who are paid to take them down than bad-guys.
Not that crime doesn't pay, but if a couple of bank-robbers but EMP guns and get chased down by six police-officers with six EMP guns, then things are the same as normal, aren't they?

I dunno...

 

[soapyshooter]

Won't work.

The car will lose control and potentially kill the driver and others.

they clear the roads during chases, thats prolly not an issue

 

[TZer0]

Well, anyone worried about a robot apocalypse, worry no longer.

Oh wow. I need to get one of those in case we get an invasion. I mean, imagine how many robots a little EMP-pistol would kill!

 

[Rickyvantof]

Right... so what if the criminal has the EMP?
Oops.

 

[AvsJoe]

Dumbest, idea, ever. Fine, let's give em the EMP guns. And now let's wait for the bad guys to get their hands on it. Let's just sit and see what happens.

Under that logic, shouldn't we stop inventing stuff and go back to good ol' safe sticks and stones?

I was just worried if it could accidentally take out a whole row of traffic, and have everyone suddenly coasting along without the ability to avoid the traffic behind. Is this device particularly accurate? I'm having trouble with the video.

An EMP could cause a lot more damage than a gun or even a grenade ever could.

I can't wait to see the news stories of the near future. This isn't sarcasm, I'm actually anticipating the headlines with glee.

 

[VicunaBlue]

THIS is why I have my car from the 60's.

 

[Azmael Silverlance]

this could go wrong in so many ways. And nobody even a criminal deserves his personal tech to be shut off.....n why should we care since its just fora helicopter now. not to mention by the time it gets there the cops will be already on a high speed chase...sigh....i hate these PR attempts to hype is up on something.

 

[Du Jour Jaricho]

Dumbest, idea, ever. Fine, let's give em the EMP guns. And now let's wait for the bad guys to get their hands on it. Let's just sit and see what happens.

Under that logic, shouldn't we stop inventing stuff and go back to good ol' safe sticks and stones?

I was just worried if it could accidentally take out a whole row of traffic, and have everyone suddenly coasting along without the ability to avoid the traffic behind. Is this device particularly accurate? I'm having trouble with the video.

An EMP could cause a lot more damage than a gun or even a grenade ever could.

And a missile can cause even more. I don't understand your point.

Are you suggesting we should remove everything scary in the world in-case bad people get it?
I'm sorry, I honestly don't get it.

Wait, what? I'm just saying that a gun shooting an EMP could cause far more damage than a POLICE ISSUE GUN or whatever could do. Hell, even a grenade would have less an impact than an EMP gun on full settings. And if the cops are handed these for something as simple as car chases, I bet it's going to be easy to steal. Thus, giving crooks a very powerful weapon. Plus, I think that an EMP would make it a lot easier to rob places.

You know, I "could" go into a long argument over EMP as a weapon. But instead I'm simply going to ask how. How would an EMP do more damage than a normal gun?

 

[mrbones228]

um... what happend to spike strips

 

[Hulyen]

It doesnt slam on the breaks, it cuts the power

Even so, many systems in vehicles today (such as say power-steering for instance) don't work so well when the power flow to them is cut off!

I'm sure you can see how this could be a problem...

I've driven a car without power steering. It sucks, but it's certainly not going to stop someone from continuing to drive.

 

[Xanadu84]

It is a potentially useful tool on a few, niche situations. It won't solve all of out car stopping problems, but it might solve a few. So cool. Of course, EMP isn't TOO too difficult to shield against.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

This can be a good idea as long as the cops in charge of using the device don't get so itchy with their triggerfinger's and fire it at every car they end up chasing.

 

[oppp7]

Why use EMPs when nukes work better?
OT: I could see where this would be a good idea, but I'm not too sure about it for several reasons.

 

[Allstar309]

I don't think they plan to use it in high speed chases, they're probably going to use it to PREVENT high speed chases by disabling the car before it gets going.

 

[Wilbot666]

It doesnt slam on the breaks, it cuts the power

Even so, many systems in vehicles today (such as say power-steering for instance) don't work so well when the power flow to them is cut off!

I'm sure you can see how this could be a problem...

I've driven a car without power steering. It sucks, but it's certainly not going to stop someone from continuing to drive.

Yes except driving a car without power steering is actually easier than trying to drive one that HAS power-steering but no power to it. True fact.

 

[Plurralbles]

Awww, poor Protoss... They're screwed now.

 

[Superbeast]

I think this'll be like the old "Russians used pencils" joke.

The cops spend an ass-ton of money developing an EMP to take out the microprocessors in cars to stop them...so all the criminals, people who mistrust the government (a lot in America it seems) and people who just want to, go back to driving cars from the 80s/90s which have no computer-controlled systems and the "working" parts are all mechanical.

Ergo the EMP is virtually useless, unless it's used on a car whilst still stationary (to kill Spark Plugs and Starter Motor etc) - which a bloke with a pair of clippers could do just as easily in most cases.

But hey, I like the older cars, so I can't wait. Should make things look much better on the roads.

 

[Wyes]

Dumbest, idea, ever. Fine, let's give em the EMP guns. And now let's wait for the bad guys to get their hands on it. Let's just sit and see what happens.

Under that logic, shouldn't we stop inventing stuff and go back to good ol' safe sticks and stones?

I was just worried if it could accidentally take out a whole row of traffic, and have everyone suddenly coasting along without the ability to avoid the traffic behind. Is this device particularly accurate? I'm having trouble with the video.

An EMP could cause a lot more damage than a gun or even a grenade ever could.

And a missile can cause even more. I don't understand your point.

Are you suggesting we should remove everything scary in the world in-case bad people get it?
I'm sorry, I honestly don't get it.

Wait, what? I'm just saying that a gun shooting an EMP could cause far more damage than a POLICE ISSUE GUN or whatever could do. Hell, even a grenade would have less an impact than an EMP gun on full settings. And if the cops are handed these for something as simple as car chases, I bet it's going to be easy to steal. Thus, giving crooks a very powerful weapon. Plus, I think that an EMP would make it a lot easier to rob places.

I'm curious... just what is it you think an EMP does?

 

[Monocle Man]

SCENARIO:

The stolen car has a hostage in it, An old man with a pacemaker that he needs to live.

EMP is used, Aside from the fact it could very well cause the car to crash. It would break the mans pacemaker. Probably causing it to flip out and give him a heart attack.

I can also see a police officer missing a car and hitting my house with his EMP

Bam, Broken, useless computers. more likely than not beyond repair.

I musts protect my data... i musts.. it commands me i musts..

Quickly, encase your house in a chicken wire fence and grow high bushes in your garden!

 

[rabidmidget]

Wouldn't that cause all cars near the fugitive to also crash? That sounds like the kind of thing that has a large are of effect rather than just at whatever it's being accurately pointed at.

Also pacemakers