After nearly six hours of public comment and council discussion, the San Diego City Council voted Tuesday evening to approve the continued use of 54 surveillance use policies by the San Diego Police Department.

The council voted unanimously for 52 of the policies, which included items such as SWAT robots and vehicle trackers. The remaining two items proved far more contentious.

“Smart Streetlights” and automated license plate reader technologies were the final two approved — by 6-2 and 5-3 votes, with Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell absent.

Hundreds of San Diegans spoke at the meeting, with the majority in opposition to ALPR technology, but the council took the advice of the SDPD to continue its use, physically tied to the Smart Streetlights contract approved with Ubicquia in 2024.

“These technologies have delivered consistent results, even thought we’ve had them for just a year and a half,” said Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell, who tried to downplay a recurrent fear by speakers the technology could be used by the Trump administration.

“The federal government already has all of us on their list. Thank you Elon Musk.”

ALPR technology is used as part of crime-fighting strategy that involves the identification of vehicles associated with suspects, witnesses or victims. The technology utilizes police ability to focus its investigative resources to deter crime and enhance public safety, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Speakers during the meeting — and Councilmember Henry Foster III — brought up a “breach” of the Flock Safety ALPR technology when it was first installed in the city and outside agencies were able to access information.

The future of law enforcement using those controversial license plate readers in San Diego will be decided this week. For the past two years, San Diego Police have been using the technology. NBC 7’s Adonis Albright shows us the controversy surrounding the readers and why some are worried about how the information it collects is being used.

San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl, in a testy exchange with Foster, admitted the unauthorized access to the data but said it was a brief mistake that was quickly rectified by the SDPD and Flock alike.

“It was an honest miss,” Wahl said. “There was nothing nefarious there.”

The department states that since ALPR was installed in the city in 2024, the technology has assisted the SDPD in more than 600 investigations, including the recovery of at least 20 firearms, $5.8 million in stolen property involving 440 stolen vehicles and resulted in more than 420 arrests.

In the first year of ALPR use, vehicle theft dropped 20% between 2023 and 2024, police officials stated.

The Smart Streetlights System, which includes the situational cameras and the ALPR cameras, have been attached to streetlight poles throughout San Diego since last year.

Total Installation, activation and relocation costs for the Smart Streetlight Program was $3,519,300, according to the SDPD.

Every councilmember acknowledged the efficacy of ALPR technology, but some were less enthusiastic than others.

“I’m not going to deny the effectiveness if you are watching everyone, all the time,” Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera said. “Flock is a proven bad actor who is unwilling or unable to stop their technology from being abused.”

There are new concerns over immigration enforcement and the use of surveillance technology, such as the San Diego Police Department’s Automated License Plate Reader technology. NBC 7’s Shelby Bremer has the details.

A major concern of public speakers and multiple councilmembers was the possibility of the ALPR technology being used by the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement specifically to terrorize the community.

“Last year, a configuration error allowed law enforcement agencies within the state of California to run license plate searches against our database for a brief amount of time,” Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. “That breach should never have happened. We have since shut off that feature and strengthened user access, and now conduct weekly auditing of the system to ensure compliance.

“Importantly, license plate reader data is not shared with federal immigration agencies, and it cannot be used to track people seeking reproductive care. Data is only kept for 30 days, access is limited to trained users, and every search is logged and reviewed.”

The 30 days the San Diego Police Department is allowed by local law to keep the date matches La Mesa and National City as the least amount of time in the county. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and Coronado, Oceanside, Carlsbad and Chula Vista allow the data to be kept for a year. In Escondido, that increases to two years.

“Though I sympathize with those who worry about potential misuse of these cameras, the thought of doing away with ALPRs is short-sighted and goes against the city’s mission to protect both residents and visitors alike,” said Councilman Raul Campillo. “Also missing from the conversation: San Diego has one of the strongest use policies for this technology so data is not misused or sold, and must not allow fear to harm already-worried communities by making them less safe.”

Chief Scott Wahl sits down with NBC 7 to talk about the multi-agency investigation at a Southcrest home, as well as the information obtained by license plate reader technology.

In 2025, 20 places throughout the country have voted to disable, reject or terminate the use of Flock technology due to security complaints.

The San Diego Police Department was clear on how they envisioned the technology’s usage.

“The operation and access to ALPR data shall be for official law enforcement purposes only,” an SDPD statement read. “The San Diego Police Department will also use ALPR systems to enhance and coordinate responses to active critical incidents and public threats, safeguard the lives of community members by using this technology to locate at-risk missing persons and to protect assets and resources of the city of San Diego.”

On Nov. 5, the city’s Privacy Advisory Board issued formal recommendations that San Diego cease the use of the Flock ALPR system. On Nov. 12, the City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to ignore the Privacy Advisory Board recommendation.

Concerns outside the city’s borders include El Cajon’s willingness to share ALPR technology with federal law enforcement, which drew a lawsuit from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The Attorney General’s Office sued El Cajon in October for allegedly violating state law by sharing the data with federal authorities and law enforcement officials in more than two dozen other states.

The suit filed in San Diego Superior Court alleges that El Cajon has flouted Senate Bill 34, a 2015 law prohibiting ALPR-data sharing with out-of- state law enforcement agencies despite the California Department of Justice contacting El Cajon’s police chief over the issue.

The city of San Diego Monday recommended allocating $15 million in Bridge to Home funding to four proposed housing projects, which would create a total of 528 affordable homes, pending city council approval.

The funding being recommended is part of the gap-financing program’s sixth round. In San Diego, Bridge to Home has spent nearly $108 million to expedite the construction of 2,148 affordable homes across 24 projects.

“We’re fighting every day to make housing attainable for all San Diegans,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “With this new round of Bridge to Home funding, we’re driving forward hundreds of affordable homes and sending a clear message: San Diego is building a future where everyone has a place to live and a chance to thrive.”

In July, the city issued a notice of available funding, inviting developers to propose projects aimed at increasing the supply of low- to moderate-income housing units. The initiative offers gap financing to help make such projects viable.

San Diego received nine responses, requesting a total of $46.2 million. The city recommended four of those projects:

• Global Village by Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans / Hitzke Development in Redwood Village: 137 homes, 41 of which are dedicated to those who make 40% or less of the area median income. Development will also include a 2,000-square-foot childcare center, a global market and a community open space;
• The Joule by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation / Citythinkers, Inc. in Grantville: 208 homes, 55 of which are set aside for those at risk of homelessness;
• Promenade Apartments by CRP Affordable Housing and Community Development / Community Revitalization Development Corporation in Hillcrest: 94 homes for small to large families, with 11 earmarked as permanent supportive housing units providing supportive services for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Eighteen homes will be for those at risk of homelessness; and
• Salvation Army Rady Center by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation in East Village: 89 homes for seniors, 55 set aside as permanent supportive housing for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness and those with serious mental illnesses.

“Affordable housing is foundational to a thriving, inclusive city,” Economic Development Director Christina Bibler said.

“These investments would not only create much-needed homes, but they would also bring community benefits, like an on-site childcare center and locations in high- and highest-resource areas with access to quality schools, jobs, transit and cleaner environments. These investments will lead to stronger economic, educational and health outcomes for the San Diegans who need them most.”

The proposals were evaluated on how feasible they were, how they fit the neighborhoods they will be constructed in and community support. They were weighed more heavily if the projects were being considered in areas with nearby resources or had a plan for daycare.

Developers had to have been part of San Diego’s pre-qualified developers list.

According to the city, of the $15 million in this round of Bridge to Home funding, $10 million comes from former redevelopment funds, the use of which is restricted to creating new housing, including site improvements as well as construction.

The other $5 million is being provided by the city itself from federal housing and community development funding to allow smaller developers to build projects of 40 units or fewer.

City staff will present its recommendations to the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Each loan will then need to be approved by the full City Council.

A total of 2,148 affordable homes have been at least partially financed through Bridge to Home since 2021, when Gloria began the program. Of these, 421 come with services to prevent people from falling into homelessness.

So far, 390 of the homes are occupied. Another 392 homes are currently under construction, with 286 of those expected to be completed by next spring.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — An infant boy was found dead in a portable restroom in Mission Bay on Monday, according to the San Diego Police Department. 

A 911 call was made around 1:27 p.m. after an employee found the infant’s body inside a restroom at Sunset Point/Dana Landing. Authorities are investigating the death as suspicious.  

The San Diego Fire Department, San Diego Lifeguards and SDPD all responded to the scene. Paramedics pronounced the infant dead shortly after. 

The identity of the boy or his parents is unknown to investigators at this time. A pediatric death investigation is underway and the SDPD Homicide Unit was notified. 

Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding this incident, including the parents’ identity, to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.