Beretta’s newest Law Enforcement pistol, unveiled at DSA ’14, is the Beretta PX4i Storm.  This pistol is a standard PX4 Storm that been wired with electronic sensors which can track when rounds are fired, how many rounds are in the magazine, the status of the safety and even if a round is in the chamber or if the hammer is cocked.

All this information is collected and wirelessly transferred to a central control system that correlates it with other Beretta i-Protect sensor data. Biometric data is collected using the Beretta BZero, an undergarment that monitors heart rate, body position and breath rate. GPS location data can also be relayed using unspecified modules.

If a police officer removes his PX4i from its holster the iProtect system could, for example, automatically notify the police dispatch as well as other officers nearby and route them to assist the officer in trouble. This can all be done without the officer having to make a radio call. It can even detect if an officer is injured or killed and issue an appropriate alert.

From the i-Protect press release …

From over 500 years Beretta delivers the best solutions for security operators worldwide. Our mission is to ensure people a better life by enabling police forces to operate safely and I-Protect is our breakthrough solution for the police and law enforcement community.

When it comes to an emergency you must be fast, accurate and effective: no matter where you are, now I-Protect is around you. A network of integrated sensors provides the Operation Center with a real time situation awareness, including operators vital functions and weapons status.

I-Protect dedicated software records and manages automatic alerts, enhancing the decision making process. The result is an improved safety framework for operators on the field, allowing them to focus on their most important mission: serve and protect.

The security of citizens is a priority of every civil society. Thanks to technology we have done a lot, but there is still a lot to do. Beretta I-Protect: a step ahead in public security.

From the PX4i Storm press release …

In the street your life depends on your comrades and communication is essential. However, in a split second attack, call communication is not always possible: don’t worry, from now on your PX4; will do it for you. The status of your gun corresponds to a specific level of threat. PX4; continuously tracks and records your pistol status, sharing this information in real time with the Operation Center and other patrols. The result is an enhanced situational awareness that provides a dramatic reduction of the time to decision in crisis response.

Rather than being a system designed to monitor and second-guess officers in the field. Beretta has designed i-Protect to be a potentially life saving system. I look forward to seeing how it develops.

Rather than being a system designed to monitor and second-guess officers in the field, Beretta has designed i-Protect to be a potentially life saving system. I am looking forward to seeing how Beretta develop this product in the future.

Many thanks to Lionel for the photos and information.