10/13/2026
Today, I am calling for the City to turn off its Flock cameras. They are causing too much fear for too many San Diegans.
As a member of the Public Safety Committee and as the councilmember whose district has the highest density of Flock automated license plate reader cameras (ALPRs), I have previously supported them as a matter of public safety. They have helped solve crimes, and I believe our police department uses them responsibly.
However, I have heard from many San Diegans who are afraid these cameras will be misused by our federal government. The Trump Administration and ICE and their un-American, anti-immigrant brutality have created a police state in many of our communities. People worry these cameras could be used in that crackdown.
As a result, law-abiding San Diegans are living in fear that our Flock cameras will be used against them. Families are afraid of being separated. Workers are afraid of being targeted on their way to work. Parents are afraid of what could happen when they take their children to school. American citizens have been detained. These are our neighbors, and they deserve to feel safe in their own city.
Last week’s report that ICE is expanding its operations in San Diego and targeting schools and construction sites heightens the fear and heightens the urgency to turn off the Flock cameras that contribute to that fear.
I want public safety tools that help San Diegans feel safe. If Flock cameras are causing many San Diegans to feel unsafe, then they have lost effectiveness as a public safety tool.
People tell me what would actually make them feel safer is faster response times when they call the police department for help. When someone calls for assistance, they don’t need a Flock camera. They need help to be on the way quickly.
The City should turn off the cameras and cancel the contract. Let’s use the savings to speed up response times when people call for help.
I will not support continued use of Flock ALPRs, and as a result, I don’t believe there will be enough support to continue their use for much longer.
I thank my constituents and the many other San Diegans who have spoken or written to me about this issue and those who stood with me at our news conference today. In particular, I thank labor leaders Brigette Browning and Carol Kim and Democratic Party chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy who spoke at today’s news conference and who have been powerful advocates for removing these cameras and supporting our communities.
