The San Diego City Council unanimously passed a surveillance ordinance Monday intended to put greater rules around the city's acquisition and use of technology capable of monitoring the public.
Council President pro tem Monica Montgomery Steppe grew frustrated with what she saw as people falsely mischaracterizing those calling in with concerns about their privacy and how it could potentially be weaponized.
"Everyone wants the same doggone thing, and that is to feel safe in their community," she said, wondering why the FBI had not reached out to her and the Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology SD group to offer input in the more than two years it took to bring this law to the full council."This is not the first time I've been disrespected by law enforcement on this dais.
The impetus of the increased interest in privacy and civil liberties is tied to the City Council's 2016 $30.3 million decision to upgrade city infrastructure with several thousand"smart streetlights" from General Electric. The streetlights were equipped with sensors to help extract numbers on traffic, pedestrian flow and environmental data.
The San Diego Police Department used footage hundreds of times in attempts to solve serious crimes, including more than 30 times in investigating homicides before the program was shuttered in late 2020 by then-Mayor Kevin Faulconer. However, oversight of how the police department could use the footage was minimal.
San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott spoke in 2020 about how the city's smart streetlights program has helped the San Diego Police Department investigate crimes.
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