Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Police technology is a major business in the US. Altogether, the law enforcement equipment market was valued at nearly $11.7 billion in 2025, and as dystopian toys like self-driving squad cars and crime fighting drone hives make it to market, that number is set to skyrocket. A growing favorite among police departments throughout the country is the “camera on wheels” platform, known as COWs for short — or “scarecrows,” for a more ominous moniker. While they’re not quite as exciting as “Fallout” style police robots, COWs offer a low-effort solution to departments whose panopticon has a few blind spots. COWs are basically tiny tow-trailers with a solar panel, battery, and telescoping CCTV mast attached. They’re sold by high-tech ventures such as Flock Safety — shown below — and rented out by legacy security enterprises like Allied Universal. As Nile Coates, vice president of US sales at surveillance firm ECAM said in a rather uncritical interview with news outlet …