City Council bill would ban weaponized NYPD robot dogs before future use expands

A New York City lawmaker is pushing new limits on how the NYPD can use its robotic dogs, including a ban on weaponizing the machines in the future. The proposal comes as police say the robots are currently used for public safety situations like hostage negotiations and terror-related responses, but are not equipped with weapons. The debate is already drawing strong opinions, with supporters saying clear guardrails are needed now and critics arguing police should not be restricted from using effective technology as threats evolve.