OB Rag

By Teri Figueroa / San Diego Union-Tribune / December 8, 2025

Two years after a split San Diego City Council agreed to install 500 automated license plate recognition cameras throughout town, the technology is up for review — and it’s still controversial.

On Tuesday, the council is slated to look at the plate readers as part of a review of 54 surveillance technologies that police use, which also includes cameras officers wear on their uniforms and SWAT robots and tactical equipment.

San Diego police hail the readers as a force multiplier that helps solve crimes. In 2024, San Diego had 36 homicides in San Diego. Information gleaned from the license plate readers aided in nearly a third of the investigations and helped lead to six apprehensions, police said. Without the technology, a spokesperson said, four of those cases would not have been solved.

Police also note that since the system was launched, they have recovered $6 million in stolen property, including more than 400 vehicles.

Critics argue that the automated license plate readers create a mass surveillance network and intrude on civil rights. And as communities reel from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns, many fear the federal government could muscle access to local surveillance systems despite laws barring such. An Associated Press investigation published last month said the U.S. Border Patrol is using a license plate reader program that flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on travel routes and locations.

by Roberto Camacho / Times of San Diego / Dec. 3, 2025

Arturo González started his morning on Nov. 18 the same way he has most days since the beginning of last summer — patrolling the neighborhood looking for potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity — when he came across an unmarked vehicle similar to models commonly used by federal agents.

González, a San Diego-based social justice activist, first began documenting events during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest when he was 17.

González is unlike many others who started community patrols as federal law agencies increased immigration enforcement. He is unaffiliated with any formal organization, a one-man shop who is well known locally for broadcasting his patrols to more than 422,000 followers on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Over the summer, González began covering protests in Los Angeles during the Trump administration’s massive surge of ICE raids there, which sparked days of protest and Trump deploying Marines and National Guard troops in response.

The preliminary hearing for Evan M. Anderson, 24, accused of striking and killing Tracy Condon while she sat on a curb in Ocean Beach has been scheduled for March 25, 2026.

Anderson pleaded not guilty to hit and run to the Nov. 4 traffic fatality at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Santa Monica Avenue.

Condon suffered from homelessness, was 59 years old, and was sitting on a curb next to her wheelchair around 5 p.m. when she was struck by a Toyota Tundra, allegedly being driven by Anderson.

By M.G. Perez / 7SanDiego / December 7-8, 2025 

The most recent round of King tides off San Diego’s coast dissipated over the weekend.

While the rising water provided a beautiful show, it also served as a reminder in Ocean Beach of the battered, badly damaged pier that has been closed since October 2023.

“My favorite memories (on the pier) are definitely the cold winter and the hot chocolate I got from the cafe,” said Chelsea Banales. She grew up in San Diego and visited OB frequently with her dad when he went fishing on the pier. As an adult, she brings out-of-town friends to her favorite beach and doesn’t understand why the pier hasn’t reopened.

“I really hope that they don’t just abandon the project because of money and it loses its infrastructure, coming down and then is just completely forgotten about,” Banales said.

The structure officially opened on July 2, 1966, as the San Diego Fishing Pier. The 1,971-foot concrete pier is the longest of its kind on the West Coast.

Decades of storms and the churning ocean made the pier unsafe as pilings sank and pieces of the structure fell off. After closing it for good more than 2 years ago, the City of San Diego planned to replace it rather than repair it.

By OB Rag Staff Report

Much like Cabinet meetings at the White House, the San Diego City Council on Monday re-elected Council President Joe La Cava unanimously and with tributes that were downright worshipful.

The casting of ballots took mere minutes and seemed to follow a script where each Councilmember recited a different set of La Cava’s awesome leadership skills. Only Councilmember Henry Foster III declined to join the performance. Councilmember Jen Campbell was absent.

Excerpts:

Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee (made the nomination): “President La Cava has approached this role with thoughtfulness, integrity and transparency and has shown a willingness to work thoughtfully and collaboratively with the community.”

By Colin Sekerka / The Point PLNU / Dec 9, 2025

Human trafficking in San Diego is prevalent, profitable, horrific and about as American as apple pie.

Over the past year and a half, I researched, interviewed, wrote and presented on the topic of human trafficking in San Diego, statewide and international sociopolitical spheres. As a fourth-year political science major minoring in economics, I owe an incredible deal of research and topic-relevant guidance to Point Loma Nazarene University’s History and Political Science Department professors, especially in helping me pinpoint where this wicked sociopolitical economic issue ought to be addressed.

I’ve dedicated my time, discipline and skillset this semester to conducting an honors research project on the nature of human trafficking in America’s Finest City.

The conversation around human trafficking is drenched in anger, disappointment, sympathy for the victims and frustration. In the time I’ve spent researching, interviewing high-caliber personnel involved in regional anti-human trafficking efforts and mapping trends in previous political science courses, I’ve grown familiar with its origin. To tackle the issue and attempt to assess the root causes for its presence in San Diego, there are a couple of realities to keep in mind.

By Paul Krueger

Mayor Gloria and his minions routinely claim credit for accomplishments they didn’t make happen. In their latest PR contrivance, the “Todd Squad” is crowing about a national survey that shows 76 percent of San Diego residents are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their city.

According to Gensler Research, San Diego ranks second in “satisfaction with their city as a place to live,” trailing only San Antonio, TX, with a 78-percent score. (Axios, which published the results, cautioned that “satisfaction” is a “broad” term, defined as “a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety, and other key urban issues.”)

Our ever-smiling Mayor immediately plastered his social media accounts with the upbeat poll results. Remember, this is the man who rammed through lax multi-unit ADU development, agreed to revise them in the face of neighborhood outrage, and then had the temerity to take credit for the reforms.

Still, did anyone in the Land of Todd even read the Gensler report? A glance at the survey methodology reveals a very significant — even disqualifying — limitation: The poll was conducted more than a year ago, from July 18 to November 24, 2024.

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There may be a major shake up in the race for the District 2 San Diego City Council seat.

Times of San Diego reported on Friday, Dec. 5, that former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey has moved to San Diego — but even more specific, Times reports, “he confirmed this week he now lives in Point Loma.”

That could mean that Bailey is now planning to campaign for the D2 seat, now occupied by termed-out Jen Campbell.

The title of he Times piece expressed this thought: “Coronado’s former mayor moved to San Diego. He’s acting a lot like someone running for something.”

Ever since Bailey recently showed up on San Diego’s political scene, he has appeared to be a politician looking for an office. He has been shooting out mailers that look a lot like campaign literature, he was very visible during the brief anti-Senate Bill 79 campaign here in town, he’s been busy publishing websites and policy positions concerning San Diego issues, like trash fees and infrastructure.

And now, Bailey has immersed himself into a group that recently formed that seems to be his stalking horse for a council seat, called San Diego United Communities. They probably would deny that, but he was a featured speaker at their formation meeting and is very prominently displayed on the group’s website.

Bailey says he’s no longer a Republican and has told people he’s an independent now. Even though races for council seats are supposed to be non-partisan, party endorsements play a big part in this town.

Coalition Bulletin: This Week at City Hall

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members informed about important Council and Planning Commission Hearings. Agendas may change before the meetings. For an updated list, visit the OB Rag on Monday.

Monday, December 8: City Council, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda Link:

Items include:

— Selection of a 2026-2027 Council President
— California Coastal Commission Modifications to Transit Priority Area Parking Reform and Housing Action Package 2.0
— “40th & C Project”: This will consolidate and subdivide sixteen existing lots into ten new lots and the construction of eleven new single-dwelling unit homes with eighteen new Accessory Dwelling Unit homes.

By Csaba Petre

I had the good fortunate of watching the OB Holiday Parade this year from a unique vantage point above Newport Ave.

The turnout was big, with people of all ages and families with kids lining both sides of OB’s main street.

The Galactic theme and turnout made this a particularly inventive and lively parade, which went more than two hours and concluded with Santa rolling by in a Harbor Patrol boat. Highlights included several fantastic live bands, and many aliens, UFOs, and space-themed cars.

[Dear reader: if you a photo or two of Saturday’s parade and wish it posted, please send as an attachment — no larger than 1,000 — to obragblog@gmail.com]