City of San Francisco Authorizes Police to Use ‘Killer Robots’
12.2.2022
No, this is not the plot line of a new, futuristic sci-fi movie.
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, the city’s governing body, voted 8-3 on Tuesday to allow SF police to deploy robots capable of using lethal force.
The military-grade “killer robots” are remote controlled and typically used for surveying difficult-to-access areas, and investigating/diffusing bombs.
Among other concerns, police oversight groups worry the ruling will result in more deaths at the hands of the police. here is also concern that these robots will be used disproportionately against unhoused communities, as well as Black and Brown communities.
The SFPD currently has a fleet of 12 operational robots.
These 8 members of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted in favor of the use of the ‘killer robots’:
What do you think? Will these police robots be an asset or a detriment to the community? Will they do a better job of refraining from lethal force than human police?