LA City Council Approves ‘Robot Dog’ Donation for LAPD Despite Concerns Over Surveillance

A Spotbot 3.0.0, a four-legged mechanical canine, is seen during a demonstration at Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 13, 2022. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The Los Angeles City Council on May 23 voted to accept a donation of a dog-like “robot” for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), despite growing concerns among residents that they could be used for surveillance.

The council voted 8–4 to approve the Los Angeles Police Foundation’s donation of the robot, valued at $277,917.80, according to the office of the city clerk.

Officially known as a “Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle” (QUGV), the robot is manufactured by the engineering and robotics company Boston Dynamics, which refers to it as “Spot.”

At nearly 28 inches and weighing 70 pounds, Spot can be controlled via a tablet application and built-in cameras, and can carry and power up to 30 pounds of inspection equipment while moving across loose gravel, grass, curbs, and stairs, according to its makers.

The robot also uses in-built sensors to collect 2D and 3D information which is then relayed to police via 5G/LTE, according to Boston Dynamics.

While the LAPD has said the robot will be used for reconnaissance in situations involving active shooters or hazardous materials, members of the public and council members have raised concerns that the QUGVs could be misused to monitor black and Latino communities in the city.

“This item is being painted as merely an acceptance of a donation, but it really represents an expansion of the current boundaries around policing and surveillance,” Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez said during Tuesday’s vote, before voting not to accept the donation, the Los Angeles Times reported. “This is not the vision of the community that I believe Los Angeles should be,” Soto-Martínez added.

Constituents Raise Concerns

One member of the community, Emerald Johnson, urged council members to “make the right decision” and strike the robot dog off the agenda, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

“We, your constituents, do not want the robot dog. It’s not just a donation, and this will cost us a lot more in the long run,” Johnson said.

Responding to concerns from members of the public, David Kowlaski, deputy chief for the LAPD, stressed that the LAPD has “clearly defined situations for use with a strict approval process.”

In a news release after the vote, the LAPD said the robot will serve as a tool to enhance public safety efforts, noting that it is “versatile and agile” and can navigate challenging terrain while performing a variety of tasks.

The robot, according to police, will only be deployed in a limited number of scenarios such as in cases involving active shooters, hostage situations, natural disasters, or in situations where explosives need to be assessed.

It will also be used to assess hazardous materials, for rescue missions, and in cases where suspects are barricaded, according to police.

“The QUGV shall not be equipped with any weapon systems including any non-lethal or less-lethal weapon technology, shall not be equipped with or use any facial recognition software or analysis capabilities, and the QUGV shall not be used for routine patrol duties or covert surveillance operations,” LAPD said.

Robots Will Help Police ‘Better Protect’ Community

Police officials added that the robot uses “secured radio frequencies” to transmit encrypted data that is not accessed by third parties. Any data, including photographs, video, or audio, captured by the robot’s cameras during deployment will be recorded and archived in accordance with current department policy, they noted.

The LAPD plans to begin using the QUGV robot in the coming months after officers have undergone training and testing, officials said.

“I am appreciative of the approval today by the majority of the City Council in accepting the donation of the Los Angeles Police Foundation in acquiring this state-of-the-art mechanical robot,” said LAPD Chief Michel Moore. “This technology will allow us to better protect our officers and the community allowing us to use modern technology to deescalate dangerous situations.”

Amid criticism over the vote, the City Council stated Tuesday that it will “closely monitor” police use of the robot and may suspend the program at any time in the future.

Additionally, the LAPD must provide quarterly reports about the use of the QUGV, including information about where and why it was used and the results of its deployment as well as any problems that occurred, according to local reports.

The latest decision in Los Angeles comes after the New York City Fire Department used robot dogs to help search for survivors or possible victims after a four-story parking garage partially collapsed in New York City’s Financial District on April 18. The department has been using robot dogs for search and rescue missions since last year.