Source: https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/30/san-francisco-police-can-now-use-robots-to-kill/
Publisher: TechCrunch
Date Published: November 30, 2022
Relevant To: Police militarization / mission creep research
Verification Status: Verified
Notes: San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to approve SFPD’s Law Enforcement Equipment Policy, which allows robots to be used for deadly force in extreme circumstances. Follows a 2016 Dallas PD precedent (first US use of a robot to kill a suspect). EFF warned of “mission creep”: tech developed for extreme circumstances (cell-site simulators, face surveillance) routinely migrates to protests and petty crime. Oakland rejected a similar proposal after public backlash. Older (2022) but foundational context for tracking police militarization/mission creep patterns relevant to BPA’s broader surveillance-and-policing research.