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| San Francisco approves police request to deploy lethal robots |
On November 25th, The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) proposed to use robots to kill suspects in 'rare' circumstances - with the force's 12 bots set to assist officers with deadly force and 'ground support'.
One way the machines can cause deadly harm is by attaching a PAN disruptor device - which uses shotgun shells - to the robot. This can then fire bullets at the suspect. Another method would be strapping explosives to a robot and then using it to blow up a suspect - which was a technique used in Dallas in 2016.
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The draft policy has been scrutinized over the past several weeks by supervisors Aaron Peskin, Rafael Mandelman, and Connie Chan, who make up the committee but that came to an end when the majority of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a modified request from the San Francisco Police Department to allow the use of remote-controlled robots armed with potentially lethal explosives in certain circumstances.
The San Francisco PD had proposed using robots "as a deadly force option" only "when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers are imminent and outweigh any other force option available to SFPD." The proposal was prompted by a new California law that requires police and sheriff departments to list their military-grade equipment and how it can be used, with city governments giving final approval of those rules.
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| Statement from Supervisor Dean Preston |
The San Francisco PD had proposed using robots "as a deadly force option" only "when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers are imminent and outweigh any other force option available to SFPD." The proposal was prompted by a new California law that requires police and sheriff departments to list their military-grade equipment and how it can be used, with city governments giving final approval of those rules.
