Police in San Francisco may allow robots to use deadly force

San Francisco police have received clearance to authorize robots to use deadly force, meaning military-grade devices operated by trained cops may be able to kill suspects during critical crises.

According to KTVU News, there are 17 robots in the San Francisco police fleet, and none of them carry live rounds. However, the agency is considering utilizing a robot with explosives attached to enter a building where violent, armed criminals are barricaded.

The Board of Supervisors approved the deadly force policy 8 to 3 with modifications.

“While an explosive charge may be considered an intermediate force option, it could potentially cause injury or be lethal,” the police department said in a statement, KTVU reported. “Robots equipped in this manner would only be used in extreme circumstances to save or prevent further loss of innocent lives.”

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman favors utilizing robots in specific life-threatening situations and believes that the public has the wrong perception of the practice.

“I think it’s totally appropriate,” Mandelman said, according to KTVU. “In fact, I think it would be irresponsible not to make plans to use that technology in that horrific eventuality.”

Not all supervisors agree with that position.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen said on Twitter that she was “beyond disappointed” in the board’s apparent decision to permit the SFPD to utilize weaponized robots to “use force against human beings.”

“Only 4 of us clearly against. Shortsighted, dangerous, sad,” Ronen said via Twitter. “The spirit of the SF I have always admired is weeping today.” 

In a follow-up tweet, she added, “Even worse than I thought! Only three of us – myself, Shamann Walton and Dean Preston voted against arming robots with weapons to kill. A damn shame.”

Walton, the Board of Supervisors president, argued against the proposal throughout the discussion, claiming that doing so made him “pro people of color” rather than anti-police.

“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,” Walton said, according to KTVU. “This is just one of those things.” 

District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston called the vote “deeply disturbing” and a “sad moment for our City” on Twitter. He agreed with Walton that adopting the policy would put Black and brown individuals in danger of harm or death.

In a statement to the board on Monday, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office said that giving police “the ability to kill community members remotely” is incompatible with the progressive ideals of the city. The office requested that the board reinstate the prohibition on using robots by police to use force against anyone.

Policy analyst Matthew Guariglia echoed a similar sentiment. “We are going to lessen the burden of using deadly force from having to pull a gun and pull the trigger, to a button on a remote control,” Guariglia said, according to KTVU.

In a series of tweets justifying his decision, Mandelman provided more information about what supervisors had approved. He said the police have used the robots since 2010 but have never used deadly force.

“This includes seven robots designed to neutralize/dispose of bombs, and provide video reconnaissance for operators,” Mandelman said, according to KTVU.

“None of the robots have firearms attached, and SFPD has no plans to attach firearms. However, in extreme circumstances it is conceivable that use of a robot might be the best and only way of dealing with a terrorist or mass shooter.”

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