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Everyone who opposes allowing the police to use robots to kill humans has good news: After receiving criticism after passing it by vote last week, San Francisco has put a halt to its plan to permit just that.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a policy last week that permits law enforcement to use lethal robots “when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and officers are unable to subdue the threat after using alternative force options or de-escalation tactics.”
The second vote, which was to follow, was to be held on Tuesday. In the interim, the concept generated a lot of opposition, especially from the civil liberties organization Stop Killer Robots, which described it as a “slippery slope” that would separate human operators from murders.
Robots may be used by police to “incapitate, or disorient belligerent, armed, or dangerous criminals who pose a risk of loss of life,” according to their request.
According to San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, “These robots would be a last resort.”
He continued, “If we ever have to use that option, it means lives, innocent lives, have either already been lost, or are in the balance, and this would be the only choice to neutralize that individual putting those lives in danger, or the person who has killed those lives.
The robots themselves would resemble Johnny 5 with a remote bomb strapped to it more than Robocop with firearms. Strangely, in July 2016, police in Dallas already employed one of these robots to end the life of a shooting suspect.
After the second vote, the bill was put on hold and referred to a committee for additional consideration, with the possibility that it may be changed or even dropped entirely.
