Maybe just don’t buy them?

Ever since Boston Dynamics debuted their dog-like robot, people have been on pins and needles anticipating the widespread adoption of robots. Who knows how different our lives might be after everyone has a robot? Maybe robots will clean our houses, fight our wars — hell, maybe they’ll even be our girlfriends!

For the time being, however, the actual use cases for robots appear minimal, if they exist at all. But that hasn’t stopped police stations from buying them.

Numerous police stations have purchased their own robots to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, from the NYPD’s subway patrol bot to the LAPD’s $278,000 police dog.

So, what have these robots been doing since they were purchased? Well, it seems the answer is “gathering dust.”

As it turns out, policing is a job that requires a lot more nuance than a robot can provide. And so, many departments that spent tax dollars on these robo-toys are finding that they can’t actually use them, apart from the occasional photo-op or elementary school demonstration. Some, such as the NYPD, have even ditched some of their robot projects before the devices could provide any tangible benefit.

Money and time well spent all around!