Ford adds Surveillance Mode to squad cars, alerts cops to unexpected humans

For many police officers, their cruiser's front seat is often their office -- but a parked carisn't always a safe car. With Surveillance Mode, Ford hopes to keep your city's finest a little safer in the heat of the night. By combining its existing driver-assist tech -- backup cameras, power door locks and cross-traffic alerts -- the Dearborn automaker has devised a system to signal officers of a potential attack from behind. When a potential assailant crosses into the rear camera's viewing range, Surveillance Mode sounds a chime, the windows roll up and the doors lock. This ought to give officers valuable extra time to apprise the situation at hand. It may not be a tumbler, but it's a start.

Oh, and don't fret about your local black and white's sanity: Surveillance Mode can be deactivated at will, so gaggles of pedestrians won't set off the alarm every five minutes.