Those killer robots are used in Afghanistan for war.
You mean like DARPA technology? The idea of municipal police depts using that seems ghastly. Yeesh... don't even put stuff like that out there in the thought-o-sphere. Please.
They are becoming more militarized and who wouldn't when the weapons are dangled before them at wholesale DOD prices. It makes perfect sense that depts would actually look for reasons to use their arsenal if for no other reason than to justify their acquisition. And that is thinking the very best of every person involved every step of the way. In other words, I'm being very kind.
This guy, Radley Balko, has put together some incredibly useful material, if you're interested:
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/balko_whitepap...
http://www.cato.org/events/rise-warrior-cop-militarization-americas...
It certainly looks that way, Marguerite.
And they used one in Dallas to kill a terrorist. They also have to higher technology to keep up with da gangstas who seem to be coming up with better and better weaponry.
Since 1997, police departments across the country have been able to obtain donated military surplus equipment under the 1033 program. Equipment not used within one year was to be returned. This article links to an interactive database that lists what each county across the country has received.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2014/08/17/database-...
Obama issued an executive order requiring certain items be returned and removed from availability, including tracked vehicles.
Michigan cops fume over loss of U.S. military vehicles
Obama's executive order includes the recall of bayonets, grenade launchers and tracked armored vehicles that were distributed to law enforcement agencies through the federal surplus program.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/12/02/federal-m...
In California, a scaled-down version of the Active Denial System, also known as the "Pain Ray", was installed in a California jail for use on inmates...after being rejected by the military for use in Afghanistan.
PAIN RAY, REJECTED BY THE MILITARY, READY TO BLAST L.A. PRISONERS
The jail’s energy weapon is a small-scale version of the Active Denial System, the experimental crowd control device that the U.S. military brought to Afghanistan — and then quickly shipped back home
https://www.wired.com/2010/08/pain-ray-rejected-by-the-military-rea...
The military surplus equipment is donated to police departments through the 1033 program.
Yes, it's a trend that's been going of for decades.
If there was anything positive that came out of the debacle of the death of Michael Brown and the subsequent protests in Ferguson, MO, it was the first major all-channels media coverage of just how militarized our law enforcement has become.
I think the images of rows and rows of cops dressed up in Ready-to-Retake-Fallujah cosplay shook up a number of people and prompted them to start asking questions.
Police look for reasons to use their surplus military equipment because the federal government requires that any equipment not used within one year be returned.
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/police-required-military-gear-year-return/
That would, at least in part, explain the exponential increase in SWAT raids. Note that the numbers in the articles are estimated as there is no required reporting for SWAT raids nationally. Estimates are that the use of SWAT raids has gone from ~3,000 in 1980 to ~80,000 today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/02/17/shedding-light-on-the-use-of-swat-teams/
Great stuff here, thanks for the clarification!
That is true. Although, given the civil asset forfeiture provisions, I'm inclined not to refer to it as a donation, but... well, something else. lol
What "killer robots" are you talking about? No such thing is in use or even exists, yet.
According to media reports, the Dallas PD used a remotely-piloted bomb disposal vehicle/manipulation unit (colloquially called a "robot") to carry an explosive charge into the vicinity of alleged (though almost certainly guilty) cop shooter Micah Johnson, which was then detonated, killing Johnson.
Many see this act of execution using robotic technology against a man who was pinned down, surrounded, and not an immediate threat to others as akin to US government use of missile-carrying remotely-piloted drones to carry out extrajudicial murder of alleged terrorists.
Johnson is probably not the best test case (I'm more disquited by police forces blowing kids faces off with flash-bang grenades with no consequence), but it is an example of recent law enforcement militarization which has happened without much public discussion.
Welcome. :)
I 'm aware of what happened in Dallas.
"Robotics" requires a degree of autonomy on the part of a the machine; constant human control not required. Given that, no "killer robots" were employed, just a small remotely controlled vehicle primarily designed for forward observation and bomb disposal. It was not designed as a "killer robot" and was under direct human control at all times. No programmed autonomy; if no one (literally and figuratively) pushes on a joystick, no movement by the machine.
The closest things we do have to "killer robots" are some of our military's weapons of mass destruction (or delivery systems designed for those weapons). That would be things like cruise missiles, guided torpedoes, MIRV's, etc. that are given a target destination (or destinations in the case of the MIRV's) and sent on their merry way. Their on-board computer systems then guide the weapon(s) to the target(s) on their own and deploy the weapon(s) as pre-programmed, no further input needed. But even they can't initiate an attack. They must be "authorized" by a human before they can "act"..
Even the aerial drones in use by our military these days are under constant human control, no autonomous operation until the radar-guided Hellfire missile is deployed (laser guided Hellfires still need someone to point the laser at the target until the target is struck).
So the REAL question is "it OK to take the life of a suspected criminal when no human life is actually in immediate danger, where the suspected perpetrator is a highly trained (military training) individual that's well barricaded and very heavily armed; which is what happened in Dallas.
We as a society have already started down that slope. Police dogs were initially employed as a non-lethal measure to protect police officers; sacrificially, if necessary. Now those animals have the same legal standing as the officer that they're supposed to protect. It would be interesting to see how people would have felt if the Dallas police had attempted to deploy dogs in the Dallas situation. Or, perhaps, they should have just waited him out?
In any event it's easy to "arm chair quarterback" on Monday morning. Not so much when you're actually under fire.
I think you're right. Easier to have a robot engaged in the violence.
