Whitburn Reverses on Flock Cameras, Creating Anti-Surveillance Majority on City Council

San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, announced Tuesday he now opposes the city's network of Flock automated license plate readers — a reversal that could give opponents the votes needed to cancel the $2 million annual contract.

Whitburn's district hosts the largest concentration of the more than 500 Flock cameras in the city. He was one of five councilmembers who voted in June to keep the contract intact during budget deliberations, when four members sought to redirect the $2 million to libraries, parks, and arts programs.

"Parents are afraid of what could happen when they take their children to school," Whitburn said during a Tuesday press conference, according to KPBS. "American citizens have been detained. These are our neighbors, and they deserve to feel safe in their own state."

Whitburn cited the Trump administration's immigration enforcement and last week's reports that ICE is expanding operations in San Diego as factors in his decision. "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."

Mayor Todd Gloria swiftly pushed back, issuing a statement Tuesday reaffirming his support for the technology.

"Keeping San Diegans safe is my highest responsibility as Mayor. Automated license plate readers have assisted in nearly 900 criminal investigations and allowed San Diegans to recover over $8.7 million in stolen property," Gloria said. "San Diego has also set the gold standard for transparency and oversight of surveillance technology."

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl also defended the program, noting in an email that the cameras helped solve a hate-crime spree against the LGBTQ community and located a suspect in an attempted kidnapping of a child — both in Whitburn's own district.

"For nearly three years, SDPD has shown that ALPR technology can help solve serious crimes while protecting people's privacy," Wahl said. "We've followed strict rules, conducted regular audits and helped set a national standard for responsible use."

Whitburn's new position creates at least five votes on the nine-member council potentially ready to cancel the Flock contract. The annual surveillance report is expected to come before the Public Safety Committee in mid-November, then the full council in December — presenting what Whitburn called an opportunity to end the program.

However, Mayor Gloria retains veto power, which requires a six-vote supermajority to override.

The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties filed a lawsuit against the city on September 30 seeking to halt the ALPR program, alleging it violates the California Constitution's right to privacy.