Activists push back against SFPD’s deadly force robots amid legality issues
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Activists are calling for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to turn down a plan that could make the use of deadly force robots in San Francisco a reality in select, limited situations.
They say the "killer robots" have no place in San Francisco.
This comes just one day before the board of supervisors is expected to hold its final vote on this controversial plan.
"We are not going to allow military weapons, especially killer robots, in this city," Angela Chan, Chief of Policy with the San Francisco Public Defender's office, said. "That money that goes towards these weapons belongs in community hands, we need to invest in community."
Activists from a number of organizations joined the three supervisors that voted against the plan in its first reading last week - Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton - taking to city hall to pressure the other supervisors to change their mind before Tuesday's final vote.
"When you arm lethal robots to any place to kill, you are doing capital punishment without due process," Geoffrea Morris, Co-Founder of San Francisco Black Wall Street said. "I want you all to really believe when we say, it will be people of color, it will be misused."
Supervisor Dean Preston alleged last week's vote happened illegally because a 30-day notice for public comment wasn't given. Instead, he says it was posted on Friday, Nov. 18 and heard the following Monday, Nov. 21.
"We have now uncovered the fact that the San Francisco Police Department did not post this policy as they were required to do under state law 30 days before the hearing, yet another reason that this Board of Supervisors should change course," Preston said.
SFPD Assistant Chief David Lazar said in last week's board of supervisors meeting the department does not have pre-armed robots and doesn't plan to arm the ones they have with guns. But Lazar said they could deploy robots equipped with explosives.
"We have it as tool that we do have time and we don't have time and we don't have to go in and stop the threat immediately," Lazar said. "That we have secured the scene and we weight out, do we want to risk lives and the public, getting ourselves exposed to the suspect or can we send a robot in to deal with it?"
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to hold a second and final vote on this issue on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
SF Supervisor Gordon Mar said he plans to reverse his vote on the SFPD policy. He tweeted Monday: "I'm grateful to all who've expressed concerns with our vote authorizing SFPD to use robots to kill suspects in extreme circumstances. Despite my own deep concerns with the policy, I voted for it after additional guardrails were added. I regret it. I will vote no tomorrow."
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