A San Diego City Council Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to turn off the city's automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, and ban the police from using the technology.
The proposal was put forward by Councilmember Henry Foster III, who chairs the council's Budget and Government Efficiency Committee.
"Protecting our communities means more than addressing crime," Foster said at a press conference before the meeting. "It means protecting residents' privacy, defending their civil liberties, safeguarding public resources and holding our government accountable."
The budget committee's three other members — Councilmembers Kent Lee, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera — had all previously declared their support for ending the city's use of ALPRs. But they lacked a fifth vote to reach a council majority, so roughly $2 million in funding for the technology remained in the city's budget.
Then last week, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn announced he had changed his mind and would support turning the cameras off.
Scrutiny of ALPR technology, pioneered by Flock Safety, has grown amid the federal immigration crackdown.
For months last year, the city's ALPR database was made available to out-of-state and federal agencies. Police Chief Scott Wahl later said that was "an honest miss" and that the database was not used for immigration-related cases. Police officials said they now conduct regular audits of database searches to ensure there's no unauthorized access.
Critics said ALPRs are excessively invasive and can produce false hits. In August, two men filed a lawsuit claiming the city's ALPR system led police to falsely arrest them.
"Surveillance is never neutral," said Mitchelle Woodson, legal director for the nonprofit Pillars of the Community. "It does not land on La Jolla the way it lands on City Heights or Barrio Logan or Encanto. When a camera gets it wrong, it is our people who end up at gunpoint at the side of the road."
It's unclear when the question of banning ALPR technology will reach the full City Council. Mayor Todd Gloria can veto a council resolution to ban the technology. The council would then need a sixth vote to override that veto.
Gloria released a statement after Wednesday's committee vote, saying ALPRs "are helping San Diego police solve serious crimes, recover stolen vehicles and property, and locate missing people."
"Taking this proven tool away from our officers would be a serious mistake and a step backward for public safety," Gloria said. "Elected leaders shouldn’t be making life easier for criminals. We should be making it easier for our constituents. That’s why I urge the full City Council to preserve this important public safety tool and allow the established oversight process to work."
