A real-life RoboCop? ACLU urges California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign killer drone ban

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

SHOULD CALIFORNIA BAN ‘KILLER ROBOT COPS?’

It sounds like something out of a movie, but ACLU California Action is warning Californians that a real life RoboCop could soon no longer be the stuff of science fiction.

The civil rights advocacy organization, which represents California’s three ACLU chapters, sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging his signature on AB 2681, a bill by Assemblywoman Akilah Weber, D-San Diego, that would ban law enforcement from deploying killer drones against the public.

“ACLU joins Californians in strongly opposing the acquisition and use of weaponized robots, especially killer robot cops, for several reasons,” the letter reads in part.

Those reasons include concerns about worsening the epidemic of police violence in this country.

“It is too easy to pull a trigger from behind an office desk. If police can kill remotely and risk-free, it is inevitable that they will kill more often. And as we’ve seen in the military, robots armed with lethal weapons are often used sloppily, killing unintended targets,” the letter reads.

The ACLU also warned about the militarization of police forces.

“Rather than spending millions in taxpayer dollars on arming officers to the brim and pushing police to view themselves as ‘at war’ with communities, we have consistently advocated for sensible reinvestment of these precious dollars into life affirming supportive services that are known to greatly improve public safety, like housing support, employment opportunities, and community development,” the letter reads.

Finally, the ACLU warned about the potential for violations of peoples’ civil rights if police are allowed to use killer drones.

“For example, killer robot cops patrolling a peaceful protest would surely chill speech, not to mention the privacy concerns associated with the level of constant surveillance these robots would engage in,” the letter reads.

The bill is opposed by law enforcement organizations, including the California Police Chiefs Association. In a letter to lawmakers opposing the bill, the organization warns that it would prevent police from using drones to deploy “less-lethal” forms of ammunition, such as flash bangs.

They argued as well that AB 2681 could put police in danger.

“In the unfortunate situation where a shooter, who has already committed violence, is barricaded but still armed with a firearm, AB 2681 contemplates requiring officers to expose themselves to gunfire and life-threatening situations to deploy a less-lethal disruption, rather than utilize remote-controlled technology to safely bring a dangerous situation to an end.

“In this scenario, needlessly restricting the use of life saving technology is unacceptable,” the organization wrote.

Police lobbied for an amendment to the bill that would exempt them from the ban. Weber ultimately rejected the amendment, and the bill passed without it.

“Law enforcement’s reaction to the final form of the bill is especially noteworthy as AB 2681 only prevents the use of robots armed with a weapon ‘specifically designed to threaten or cause death, incapacitation, or great bodily injury to a person,’” the ACLU wrote.

Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Someone years ago told Elon he was very funny and we’ve been paying for it ever since.”

- Social media strategist Guille Cummings, via Threads. The post came after Musk posted, and then later deleted, on his platform X that neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris had encountered an assassination attempt while former President Donald Trump had faced two, with a thinking face emoji. Musk later claimed it was a joke.

Best of The Bee:

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This story was originally published September 17, 2024 at 4:55 AM.