San Diego City Council Meeting Summary - December 9, 2025

The San Diego City Council convened on December 9, 2025, to address a range of proclamations, budget adjustments, and a highly contentious review of surveillance policies under the Trust Ordinance. The session began with the recognition of the Kumiai Nation and the approval of several proclamations honoring Officer Carlos Lacara's retirement, the 100th anniversary of the Southwestern Yacht Club, the Hillcrest Youth Center's 25th anniversary, and the 50th anniversary of the Lao American Refugee community. Following public testimony and council deliberations, the Council unanimously approved these proclamations. The meeting then shifted to a detailed discussion on the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and the re-authorization of 54 surveillance use policies, which sparked significant debate regarding Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) and Smart Street Lights, driven by concerns over data privacy, federal access, and contractor accountability.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) mid-year budget monitoring report and revisions, which included the reallocation of $37.7 million between projects to address cash management needs and specific community requests (Councilmember Moreno voted no on Item 106).
• Approved the renewal of 52 non-controversial surveillance use policies (Item 331, Part 1) with unanimity.
• Approved the renewal of the Smart Street Light use policy (Item 331, Part 2) with a 6-2 vote (Councilmembers Foster and Ilo Rivera voted no).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Proclamation Hearings: Members of the public testified in support of the proclamations. John Goodrich and Elise Lowe spoke about the Southwestern Yacht Club's history and community impact. Various speakers, including Peter Kamputon, Finney Sibongsa, and members of the Lao American community, shared personal narratives of resilience following the war in Laos and the Secret War bombing campaigns, emphasizing the need to honor the 50th anniversary of the Lao American Refugee community. Vanessa Antoine Carar and others highlighted the sacrifices made by the refugee generation. Council member Ilo Rivera and others praised the Hillcrest Youth Center for its life-saving support of LGBTQ+ youth.
• ALPR/Surveillance Opposition: A significant portion of public testimony was dedicated to opposing the continued use of Aldr systems provided by Flock Safety. Speakers included representatives from the Trust Coalition, ACE, Labor Unions (CNA, SCLU, RASA), and community organizers. Key positions expressed included:
  • Fear of Federal Abuse: Numerous speakers argued that Flock Safety cannot be trusted to prevent data sharing with federal agencies (DHS, ICE, FBI), citing a lack of control and the current political climate under the Trump administration.
  • Privacy Violations: Speakers argued that ALPRs constitute mass surveillance that chills First Amendment activities and violates reasonable expectations of privacy, referencing the Carpenter v. United States Supreme Court decision.
  • Contractor Misconduct: Attendees cited Flock's history of data breaches, illegal sharing with out-of-state agencies, and the revolving door of a former SDPD Captain (Jeff Jordan) now working for Flock.
  • Community Safety vs. Surveillance: Many speakers, including youth advocates and immigrants, argued that funding surveillance does not increase safety and that resources should be diverted to housing, healthcare, and community services.
• ALPR/Surveillance Support: Support was offered by the Downtown San Diego Partnership, the Pacific Beach Planning Group, and the San Diego County Lodging Association. Key positions expressed included:
  • Force Multiplier: Speakers argued that ALPRs are critical due to severe police understaffing (approx. 60 officers short daily) and act as a force multiplier to solve crimes efficiently.
  • Proven Results: Supporters cited specific statistics, including a 20-22% reduction in motor vehicle thefts, recovery of thousands of stolen vehicles, and assistance in solving a third of local homicides.
  • Precision Policing: Proponents argued that the technology allows officers to focus on specific suspect vehicles, reducing unnecessary stops of unrelated citizens compared to traditional descriptive warrants.

Discussion Items

• Capital Improvements Program (CIP): Staff presented a mid-year review of the CIP, requesting $37.7 million in reallocations. Councilmember Campillo expressed concern over funding reductions for the Alvarado Canyon Road project, while Councilmember Lee secured a commitment for a pedestrian refuge project via TransNet funds. The motion passed unanimously (9-0).
• Surveillance Use Policies (Item 331): The Council bifurcated the item into three components: 52 general policies, Smart Street Lights, and ALPR.
  • Flock Safety & ALPR Concerns: Councilmembers Foster and Ilo Rivera raised serious concerns regarding the "breach" of the initial system setup where data was accessible to other California agencies, the lack of accountability for that breach, and the conflict of interest regarding Jeff Jordan. They argued the contractor (Flock) is untrustworthy and that the city cannot guarantee protection from federal overreach.
  • SDPD Defense: Police Chief and staff defended the technology, acknowledging the setup error as an "honest mistake" that was corrected via audits. They reiterated commitments to shut down the system immediately if federal access is proven and pledged to conduct weekly audits (updating the policy from quarterly) and conduct a new Request for Proposals (RFP) at the next contract cycle.
  • Voting Split: The Council divided, with supporters emphasizing the tool's effectiveness in solving crimes and deterring theft against opponents emphasizing the risk to civil liberties and immigrant communities.

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations: Approved unanimously (8-0, Von Wilbert absent). Recognized Officer Carlos Lacara (retirement day Jan 8, 2026), Southwestern Yacht Club (100th anniversary), Hillcrest Youth Center (25th anniversary), and Lao American Refugee Remembrance Day.
• CIP Revisions: Approved unanimously (8-0, Von Wilbert absent). Councilmember Moreno voted no on Item 106.
• Surveillance Policy 1 (52 Policies): Approved unanimously (8-0, Campbell absent).
• Surveillance Policy 2 (Smart Street Lights): Approved 6-2 (Councilmembers Foster and Ilo Rivera voted no; Von Wilbert, Foster, and Ilo Rivera expressed strong reservations but the vote passed). Correction per transcript: Vote was 6-2 on Item 2, Foster and Ilo Rivera voted no.
• Surveillance Policy 3 (ALPR): Approved 5-3 (Councilmembers Foster, Ilo Rivera, and Moreno voted no; Councilmember Campbell absent). The motion included amendments requiring weekly audits and mandatory notification to the Chief of Police or City Attorney within 24 hours of any federal warrant request, applicable to all contractors.
• Future Actions: The Council committed to conducting a new RFP for ALPR vendors at the next contract cycle and reviewing the contract terms to ensure flow-down provisions for subcontractors are met.