San Francisco police can use robots to kill in emergency situations, city says
San Francisco supervisors approve SFPD plan to give robots ‘deadly-force option’
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved a policy that would allow the city’s police departments to use robotic lethal force during emergencies.
While it’s not quite “Robocop,” some critics are concerned the new policy comes very close to something people would expect to see in the famous dystopian sci-fi action flick.
The policy that will allow police robots to kill legally was voted on by the city’s board this Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The policy was reportedly passed by an 8-3 vote.
Under this policy, SFPD is authorized to use these robots to carry out deadly force in extremely limited situations when risk to loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option available. 2/5
— Rafael Mandelman (@RafaelMandelman) November 30, 2022
Mandelman clarified in his Twitter thread that none of the robots currently have firearms equipped, and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has no plans to attach firearms to them. Continue reading