Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a guided home security inspection policing service system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on January 5th, 2023, published on July 22nd, 2025, and assigned serial number 12367537.
The Ford Authority Take
In recent months, Ford has filed a pair of patents that aim to assist law enforcement in more ways than one. Those filings include ideas for a system capable of communicating with police during traffic stops, as well as another for an autonomous foot chase system that would enable vehicles to follow police when they have to hop out to pursue a subject. Now, this newly published patent introduces us to an idea for a guided home security inspection policing service system that may be used in future Ford police vehicles, too.
Here, Ford envisions a way to help police inspect homes, but not in the manner that one might think. Rather, the concept here is to help police conduct what’s typically known as a “vacation check” of homes or businesses when the owners are away for a longer period of time. The system would work in conjunction with a police officer’s body camera and guide them through a checklist, looking for signs of burglaries, forced entry, vandalism, or unlocked doors/windows. It’s an interesting idea, and one that may wind up coming to fruition one day.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
Comments
So the police will have a record of whether you are home or out on vacation.
I believe there are privacy issues with this.
The homeowner is the ones that request the vacation check!
Yeah sure, how many times have we all heard the same ol’ song and dance that it won’t be abused this an obvious invasion of privacy waiting to happen if we’ve ever seen one, that’s like taking someone into wild animal territory and saying it’s ok to pet them they won’t hurt you! The outcome is about as predictable as the outcome of a Mustang leaving a car show!
What?
Give the police, and the government one step into our personal lives, even when they say they won’t, they’ll soon take away our personal and private lives. It’s not if but when. Way to go Ford, all for a little profit, our freedoms are sacrificed. It sounds a little like ol’ Henry helping Hitler in WW2. Ford will probably reason, if they don’t get the right to do it someone else will. Lord have mercy, when will it end?
Ford needs to worry more about QUALITY issues with their vehicles. A record number of recalls the first 6 months.
I couldn’t agree more. How about building an Explorer or PIU that doesn’t have 6 recalls in the first few months. Build the vehicle thats reliable and then worry about peripheral ideas. Some one needs a lesson in priorities. The Chevrolet Tahoe is slowly catching up to the PIU in sales because Agencies cant keep up with the poor build quality.
So Ford want to teach trained Police Officers how to suck eggs.