San Francisco police want robot for emergency killing

Police in the California city of San Francisco are considering the use of lethal force by robots. That's according to a proposed policy on the use of military equipment. According to the policy, robots would be used to apply lethal force when there is an imminent threat to civilians or police officers and no other options are available.

The proposal for the use of lethal robots by San Francisco police has yet to be discussed and voted on by a City Council committee, reports local media"Mission Local". Under California law, police departments must obtain approval from a local board to use military equipment or weapons such as stun grenades and drones.

The policy had been under consideration by the relevant committee in the local for some time. According to committee chairman Aaron Peskin, the original version had not clarified the issue of using lethal robots. That's why he had added an addendum that robots should not be used against people, but the police department has removed that addendum and proposed new wording that says robots should be used in situations where there is imminent danger to the lives of civilians or officers and the use of other options outweighs that. That there are scenarios in which the use of lethal robots is the only option convinced the committee chairman.

Robot blasts snipers

The San Francisco Police Department currently has 17 remote-controlled robots, but only 12 of them are operational, and according to a report by The Verge, most are more likely to be used for bomb disposal or handling hazardous materials. However, some models could be equipped with firearms, for example a remote F5A from Northrop Grumman and the QinetiQ Salon. It is important to stress that the use of lethal robots by the San Francisco Police Department is only a proposal and no final decision has been made. A police spokeswoman has confirmed that there is currently no specific plan for the use of robots in dangerous situations, and that the use of lethal robots would only be a rare exception. It is important that all possible implications and ethical considerations be carefully considered before making such a decision.

In Dallas in 2016, police actually attached a small bomb to a city robot to kill a sniper who had previously killed five police officers. This was an unprecedented use of a lethal robot by police in the United States. Officers then steered the $280,000, rubber-wheeled device toward the sniper and used it to blow him up. This deployment was praised by some law enforcement officials as a creative response, while others spoke of execution by robot and questioned the ethical aspects of the deployment.

Killer robot debate in Oakland, too.

Last October, there was also a debate in the California city of Oakley about a similar regulation to that in San Francisco. After a lengthy discussion, the Oakland Police Department decided to temporarily waive its desire to obtain a license to use robots to kill people under certain circumstances. The offensive use of robots against humans was prohibited, with the exception of spraying pepper spray. However, the Oakland Police Department has stated that it will continue to pursue its request.