LOS ANGELES (KNX) – The Los Angeles City Council delayed a vote on whether to accept the donation of a dog-like robot for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The vote will now happen on May 5.
The quadruped unmanned ground vehicle, nicknamed Spot, can “climb stairs, open doors and navigate rugged terrain,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The robot would have been a $280,000 donation from the LA Police Foundation.
A memo by LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the device would be used incidents such active shootings, hostage situations and search and rescue operations among other.
During Tuesday’s meeting, some critics protested the robot saying it could be easily be misused by the LAPD.
"Nobody wants this," activist Eddie Jones said. "For the love of God, do the right thing and vote this measure down."
“At the heart of these questions is, does the community trust the LAPD? And I think the answer is no,” Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez said.
Prior to Tuesday’s vote, the Police Commission and the council's public safety committee approved of the move.
In November, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the San Francisco Police Department’s request for the robots; however, weeks later they voted unanimously to ban the robot for now.
City News Service contributed to this article.
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