Smart Streetlights, license plate readers coming to San Diego

Yahoo News November 14, 2023

Smart Streetlights and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technologies have been approved to be deployed in San Diego, police said. The decision comes after nearly eight months of discussion amongst local leaders about the program aiming to enhance security, Lt. Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.

“Smart Streetlights and ALPRs will make our communities safer,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “They have been proven to help quickly identify and apprehend suspects in deadly crimes and bring them to justice. I want to thank the City Council for recognizing their value for public safety and approving the contract that now will enable us to deploy them.”

San Diego police will receive 500 Smart Streetlight cameras, along with Flock Safety’s ALPR technology, in a five-year agreement with Ubicquia Inc., per law enforcement officials. The devices are expected to be launched by January.

Police officials — who have touted the technology as a crime-fighting tool and a force multiplier — say the cameras will be installed in public places where there is no expectation of privacy. Investigators will not monitor the network in real time but instead review the footage and data collected after serious crimes or incidents occur.

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