UC Irvine Law Review

Once considered a mere novelty, ground robots and aerial drones are quickly becoming a mainstream policing tool. Autonomous police robots, equipped with a panoply of cameras and sensors, have been sent into parks, schools, and train stations. Agencies across the country are piloting “Drone as First Responder” programs, which automatically dispatch drones in response to 911 calls. Police have used robots to disorient, immobilize, and use force against suspects.

Police robots may provide public safety benefits, but they may also carry real risks. The widespread adoption of highly mobile robots equipped with cameras, sensors, and analytics will only hasten the proliferation of police surveillance, with attendant risks to individual privacy. Algorithmic bias and disparities in where policing technologies are deployed may fuel racial inequities. The advent of force-equipped robots raises profound ethical questions that require a systematic rethinking around use-of-force rules.

In the face of the harms of police robots, the existing patchwork of laws and constitutional rules governing policing is proving inadequate. As police rush to adopt these new tools, sound policymaking is needed—and urgently. To that end, this Article aims to provide a comprehensive roadmap for the regulation of robotics in law enforcement.