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Following an emotional heated debate that revealed splits on a politically liberal board over support for law enforcement, San Francisco supervisors decided on Tuesday to allow municipal police to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency scenarios.
The powers, according to opponents, would further militarize a police force already overly hostile toward poor and minority populations.
8 supervisors voted in favor of giving police the killer robot option.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, there are no robots already armed and there are no plans to arm robots with firearms. However, if lives are at risk, the department may send out robots armed with explosive charges.
The robots will be limited in scope, SFPD spokesman Allison Maxie said in a statement.
She said:
“Robots equipped in this manner would only be used in extreme circumstances to save or prevent further loss of innocent lives.”
The San Fransisco Police Department already owned the robots, albeit not equipped with explosives. This issue has come forward due to a California law passed recently that mandates police forces inventory and request use of any military-grade weaponry they have or would like access to.
David Chiu, the city attorney for San Francisco, wrote the state bill last year while serving in the assembly. The Act aims to provide the public with a platform and a voice in the purchase and use of military-grade weapons that have a harmful impact on communities.
During the heated debate, many opinions came forth. Board President Shamann Wilson, who voted against the proposal, encapsulated the arguments for and against well.
They stated:
“We continuously are being asked to do things in the name of increasing weaponry and opportunities for negative interaction between the police department and people of color."
"This is just one of those things.”
Reactions have been swirling in the week leading up to and now after the hearing about the potentially lethal police robots.
Some reacted with horror at the concept of robots with any weapons, let alone explosives.
\u201cFor all those still in disbelief that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave the police permission to kill with robots - know that your gut was right here. It's a terrible idea. \n\nRemote triggers are easier to pull, and you can't take a robot to court.\u201d— ACLU of Northern CA (@ACLU of Northern CA) 1669850274
\u201cThis is a photo of the death robot in question.\n\nEight San Francisco Supervisors saw this and said "Yes. We want to have these things roaming around the city killing people."\n\nI can't believe this.\u201d— mmm (@mmm) 1669783086
\u201cSan Francisco local news: Don\u2019t worry everyone, police aren\u2019t giving robots the ability to shoot you, they\u2019re just going to violently explode next to you. \n\nWut\u2026\u201d— Savanah Hernandez (@Savanah Hernandez) 1669833505
\u201c@kron4news Suicide bomber robots sound much better thanks\u201d— KRON4 News (@KRON4 News) 1669753809
A few tried to contextualize the robots in terms of how they will be used, which is only through approval from a few high-ranking officers in the SFPD.
\u201c@EFF @TenthAmendment To be clear.\nThe robots won't be programmed to kill. They just transport the weapon when it is too dangerous for a human to do so.\nA human police officer makes the decision to shoot and a human police officer sends the shoot signal. The robot is simply a passive carrier\u201d— EFF (@EFF) 1669667394
But this justification came from a very small minority.
Many more commented on how the decision feels like it is out of a dystopian novel or film. They referenced media like Skynet from the Terminator franchise, Robocop and Doctor Who among others.
\u201c@mayavada @katewillett Science fiction is meant to act as a warning, not a template for future actions ffs.\u201d— mmm (@mmm) 1669783086
\u201c@kron4news "At 02:14 am November 29 SFPDnet became self aware..."\u201d— KRON4 News (@KRON4 News) 1669753809
\u201c@kron4news I saw Robocop. What could go wrong?\u201d— KRON4 News (@KRON4 News) 1669753809
\u201c@AP So the only thing Robocop got wrong was taking place in Detroit instead of San Francisco\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1669768209
\u201c@AP I think an appropriate name could be Department Assisting Lifesaving Electric Kindbot. For short, they can just call it Dalek.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1669768209
Others processed their shock and horror through gallows-humor memes.
\u201c@kron4news made a helpful graph\u201d— KRON4 News (@KRON4 News) 1669753809
\u201c@kron4news\u201d— KRON4 News (@KRON4 News) 1669753809
\u201c@mayavada SFPD, after detonating the explosive drone to take down the suicide bomber:\u201d— mmm (@mmm) 1669783086
Other places in the USA have robots with similar capabilities to the newly approved ones in San Fransisco.
But this is the first time the concept has come to such public debate and been approved. In nearby Oakland, California a similar measure was dropped after widespread public backlash.