More Than 100 Cameras Have Already Been Installed
Since late December, more than 100 of the 500 cameras that the San Diego Police Department will be installing and using has begun. These are the Smart Streetlight cameras and Automated License Plate Recognition technologies, and nearly every day brings new installations.
Police say they have already assisted in solving crimes and Mayor Gloria has already gloated that the so-called smart streetlights are “already making our city safer, with examples just in the first two months of operating that show their ability to help police locate and apprehend dangerous suspects more efficiently and with greater certainty.”
He pledged: “With the level of transparency and accountability for the use of the technologies we have in place, we’re enhancing San Diegans’ safety while protecting their right to privacy.”
Installation of all 500 cameras is anticipated by June, weather and other infrastructure issues permitting. It’s unclear how the new city budget restrictions enacted by Gloria just recently will affect the rate of installation.
San Diego Patch published an account on the installation of the 500 cameras from oft-cited City News Service on February 26, some of which we repost below. But a comment here is necessary, because the Patch – CNS report is simply a shameless account of the establishment line on the cameras. Why do we claim this? Let me count the ways:
- First, there is no mention of how the 500 cameras will be disproportionately spread across San Diego neighborhoods, with most installed in African-American and Latino communities.
- There is not a mention of the controversy that has followed these cameras since day one of the public’s awakening on their existance;
- Not a word about how the police first installed the cameras without informing the civilian government or the public about their use;
- No hoopla about how the city formed a committee to advise the city and monitor the cameras, because their installation and threat to civil rights is so high;
- And then there is not a hint of how the city council ignored the recommendations of that very committee they formed to advise them on the cameras.
Now that you’ve been forewarned, dear reader, here’s the “official” line (in other words City News Service and then Patch simply cut and pasted together a story only using the police’s and mayor’s positions along with the tech owners’ on the cameras without any reflection, no space for “the other side” and no self-criticism — which is the difference between progressive citizen journalism and corporate journalism). Proceed with caution:
SDPD’s five-year agreement with Ubicquia Inc. and Flock Safety’s ALPR technology, included the installation and maintenance of an initial 500 locations citywide. Since late December, more than 100 of the 500 cameras have been installed, with new installations occurring almost daily, according to SDPD’s Ashley Nicholes.
“The San Diego Police Department already produces clearance rates for solving crimes above the national average,” SDPD Chief David Nisleit said. “Instead of casting a large net based on sometimes vague descriptions, the Smart Streetlight cameras and ALPR system now allow officers to be laser-focused on who committed the crime. This investment is precision, intelligence-led policing at its finest and will deliver results.”
The cameras and ALPR can only operate in conjunction with an LED streetlight. If an LED streetlight is already in place, the technology can be easily connected to the streetlight without modification. If a designated location is not LED-equipped, SDPD works with the city’s Transportation Department to replace it with an LED light, Nicholes said.
“We’re honored to partner with the City of San Diego and Ubicquia on this groundbreaking deployment of public safety technology,” said Garrett Langley, CEO and Founder of Flock Safety. “Every city is different, but all need public safety solutions that align with the character and citizens of their community. This new method of positioning LPR and video security technology through the UbiHub streetlight technology shows that Flock Safety is committed to constant innovation to serve every community.”
Once the cameras are installed, SDPD’s Special Projects and Legislative Affairs Unit individually reviews each camera’s viewpoint to digitally mask private property, so it is not recorded by the cameras before they are fully operational, Nicholes said. SDPD is working to provide training opportunities to officers and investigators to ensure they understand the responsibilities of access to the system.
Safeguards for the system include:
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- Officers and investigators must take the required training before access is granted;
- A case or event number is listed when searching the system;
- The SPLA Unit is constantly auditing the system to ensure compliance;
- Video captured by the streetlight cameras is deleted after 13 days, and ALPR data is deleted after 30 days;
- Streetlight camera video and ALPR data are only maintained if they are being used in an investigation;
- The hotlist ability for officers or investigators to enter license plates suspected of or associated with a crime can only be entered by members of the SPLA Unit and only remain on the hotlist for 72 hours;
SDPD has taken steps to better inform the public about the new technologies, including publishing use policies and other related materials in accordance with the Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology Ordinance to its technology website; creating a searchable map of locations of the streetlight and ALPR cameras; and collaborating with Flock Safety to create a “transparency portal” on the ALPR data being collected.
Since early January, Smart Streetlight and ALPR information has assisted SDPD officers and investigators with more than 22 homicide, robbery, burglary, assault and stolen vehicle investigations, Nicholes said. Twelve stolen vehicles have been recovered, with 11 suspects in custody from these investigations. SDPD has accessed critical information using the Smart Streetlight and Flock ALPR system to assist with four homicides, Nicholes said.
Public safety in public places. If you’re not doing anything wrong, there’s nothing to worry about.
First, there is no mention of how the 500 cameras will be disproportionately spread across San Diego neighborhoods, with most installed in African-American and Latino communities.
That’s a pretty brazen insinuation for a journalistic statement. Based on crimes reported within police , I could see where more cameras would be placed than others. The view of more cameras in minority neighborhoods being disproportionate is odd. If there was statistically more crime in an area, wouldn’t you think law abiding citizens in any neighborhood would be thankful for making things safer, instead of the knee jerk reaction of disproportional invasion of privacy and civil rights in public places?
CS – you’ve just shown that you are more of a George Orwell believer than I thought. That’s right out of 1984: ” If you’re not doing anything wrong, there’s nothing to worry about.” And it was not a brazen statement at all- local media have proven that the so-called smart cameras will be disproportionately spread across San Diego neighborhoods, with most installed in African-American and Latino communities. Look at the fu*kng map, you wizard.
I’ll take all the cameras in my area. There, paranoia solved. No problem genius.
There was a saying from the 60s/70s: ‘Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not watching you.’ Or words to that effect.
LOL. A 50 yr old quote. They’re already watching you. The web. Your phone. Duh!
Here’s a quote a little older than 50 years: Benjamin Franklin once said: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
There are a lot of choices we still have as safeguards that are available for our phones as we decide. In otherwords, you still maintain some agency over what entities get your personal information.
By contrast, in the most un-American way imagineable, the City has eliminated our ability to go about our own business, thus eliminating the agency you should both constituntionally and reasonably have rights to.
You have no choice when license plate readers track your every movement in real-time using proprietary black box hardware and software available to data brokers everywhere with little to no oversight, and ZERO enforceability, and budget.
There is no deterent to ” going about your business ” unless that encompasses unsafe acts as simple as speeding and the last second red light runner which can have deadly consequences. It’s really sad when policing is trashed as nefarious.
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
? George Orwell, 1984
Big Brother, watching over all of us, to “keep us safe”….
Cue the spooky music.
Frank, thanks for mentioning this. The CNS story was shameful stenography of the City’s press release, and even worse, most newsrooms ran the CNS story unedited. Winkley at the UT provided extra context and NBC 7 at least called us to include an extra perspective. Everyone else apparently read CNS’s stenography and declared it fit to print.
As in-depth reporting becomes harder to come by we are going to be more reliant on sharp eyes like yours to keep people well informed.
The Gloria hole is collecting serious money from the unconstitutional license plate reader data tracking everyone’s movements in the city 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and selling it to privte companies worldwide. But you won’t know anything about that because there is “0” overight and the systems are propretary.