It doesn't seem to me that even our most basic securitron is mindless. I feel that both soldier face and police face are both capable in their respective role, in the very least that they would be about as intelligent as an average human soldier/police officer, if with less free will.

>ladies, step away from the fountain. The well is for wishes only
>this is a restricted area. Stand back or we will open fire
>Greetings NCR citizens

Mr Gutsy's/Handy's were pretty sentient and cheap enough to afford to the average person, and Mr House was a fine robotics man. I doubt he wouldn't have given his bots the very same capability. (and that we with our robotics 100 couldn't also figure that out).