Take Action Against
Surveillance Technology in San Diego

Public Comments for “License Plate Recognition” automated license plate readers:

• No one should fear arrest or prosecution due to their decision to seek health care. The Automated License Plate Recognition Program collects data from everyone on the road and has the capacity to share this data with agencies – including Immigration and Customs and Law Enforcement. This disproportionately harms Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, and even people seeking abortion access in California. I oppose the automated license plate readers that SDPS is proposing for our communities.
• When sensitive, personal information is captured from plate readers, and then shared – people seeking critical healthcare services are in danger. I demand a hold on the Automated License Plate Recognition Program until policies that protect patient data are in place – because everyone deserves access to a healthy and meaningful life, no matter what.
• I urge the San Diego City Council to table any action related to approving San Diego Police Department policies and procedures on Smart Streetlights or Automated License Plate Recognition until our concerns with the technologies have been addressed, and the draft policies and procedures have been fully vetted by a complete Privacy Advisory Board.
• At a time when accessing reproductive health care is already under scrutiny, I believe that patient privacy and security is a top priority. The Automated License Plate Recognition Program collects data from everyone on the road and has the capacity to share this data with agencies – including Law Enforcement. Without specific policies and procedures in place, there are no assurances that the City of San Diego and San Diego Police Department will not share data with law enforcement to prosecute patients seeking an abortion. I ask that San Diego City Council uphold AB 1242 – a CA law passed September 2022, which protects patient privacy and safety, especially for those traveling throughout and into California.

Public Comments for “Smart Streetlight” surveillance cameras:

• All people deserve the right to live and work in communities free from surveillance and dangerous technology that could put them at higher risk for biased targeting. I do not support the use of automated technology to further increase the harm my community faces when decisions are made based on false or erroneous justifications.
• Highly surveilled communities are not safer, healthier communities. Over-surveillance disproportionately harms Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, people with low incomes, and LGBTQ+ people. It would cost an estimated $4 million to roll out both the license plate recognition system and cameras. I ask that The City divest from harmful systems, like surveillance technologies, and instead, invest in community programs, services, and infrastructure. True public safety is secure housing, good jobs, and health care, not costly surveillance tech.
• I urge the San Diego City Council to table any action related to approving San Diego Police Department policies and procedures on Smart Streetlights or Automated License Plate Recognition until public concerns with the technologies have been addressed, and the draft policies and procedures have been fully vetted by a complete Privacy Advisory Board. All people deserve the right to privacy.
• All people, and all communities of San Diego, deserve the opportunity to choose their own path to a healthy, meaningful life – one rooted in community, the freedom to decide if and when to have children, and to parent the children we have in safe, peaceful neighborhoods. All people deserve the opportunity to live their lives and achieve their dreams away from policing, over-surveillance and unnecessary scrutiny. I do not support the use of automated technology to further increase over-policing, surveillance, and the harms our communities face.