San Francisco may use armed robot cops that could be used to kill people. Now, in a town filled with leaders who hate cops, guns, and individual liberty, this sounds like a colossally bad idea. But, just in case it passes, conservatives should probably wear body armor under their Armani suits.
I remember being fine with it when Dallas police sent in a robot armed with a bomb to kill the Black Lives Matter sniper who shot 14 police officers, killing five of them back in 2016. It seemed prudent not to sacrifice any more cops to end that bastard. But it’s ironic that a town that would rather dispatch mental health counselors than cops and would rather defund law enforcement should opt to use robots armed with .50 cal ammo. Though now, the city is attempting to backtrack by vowing only to bomb people, not actually shoot them. Well, then.
In 2021, in the spirit of recycling, the California legislature approved receipt of surplus military equipment. San Francisco police provided a handy guide explaining what equipment they would be permitted to use. Here’s a partial list:
(1) Unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles.
(2) Mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles or armored personnel carriers.
(3) High mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV), commonly referred to as Humvees.
(4) Tracked armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection to their occupants and utilize a tracked system instead of wheels for forward motion.
(5) Command and control vehicles that are either built or modified to facilitate the operational control and direction of public safety units.
(6) Weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind.
(7) Battering rams, slugs, and breaching apparatuses that are explosive in nature.
(8) Firearms of .50 caliber or greater. However, standard-issue shotguns are specifically excluded from this subdivision.
(9) Ammunition of .50 caliber or greater. However, standard-issue shotgun ammunition is specifically excluded from this subdivision.
(10) Specialized firearms and ammunition of less than .50 caliber, including assault weapons as defined in Sections 30510 and 30515 of the Penal Code, with the exception of standard-issue service weapons and ammunition of less than .50 caliber that are issued to officers, agents, or employees of a law enforcement agency or a state agency.
(11) Any firearm or firearm accessory that is designed to launch explosive projectiles.
(12) “Flashbang” grenades and explosive breaching tools, “tear gas,” and “pepper balls,” excluding standard, service-issued handheld pepper spray.
(13) Taser Shockwave, microwave weapons, water cannons, and the Long-Range Acoustic Device.
Though civil rights groups and others have lined up against the use of the armed robocops, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is seriously considering the idea. San Francisco’s neighbor, Oakland, rejected the use of robots in October.
Mao once said that “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” Imagine these Lefties with robocops.
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