Smart Streetlights, license plate readers coming to San Diego

Domenick Candelieri
·1 min read
2

SAN DIEGO — 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.

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SDPD requires every city department to comply with the ordinance for each technology that meets the criteria for surveillance.

“The City has approximately 300 technologies that may be defined under the ordinance, with more than 70 of them being used by SDPD to conduct investigations, enhance response to critical incidents and public threats, and safeguard the lives of community members,” Sharki said. “SDPD and the Fire-Rescue Department have more than a dozen other technologies in various stages of the ordinance process.

In August, El Cajon implemented both Smart Streetlights and license plate-reading cameras program.

The project includes a one-time $1.5 million installation and maintenance cost and $2 million for hardware, software and connectivity, costing around $3.5 million in the first year. After the first year, it will cost around $2 million annually.

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