Reported by Voice of San Diego
In what could be a deathblow for the controversial surveillance technology, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn announced during a press conference on Tuesday morning that he’s turned on Flock.
Whitburn represents downtown and the surrounding communities – home to the largest concentration of the more than 500 Flock cameras in the city. His new position is a reversal; he supported the use of the cameras as recently as June. During that month’s budget hearings, he was one of five councilmembers to vote down a proposal to nix the city’s contract with the company. His opposition now creates a simple majority that could potentially cancel the contract.
Mayor Todd Gloria, a supporter of Flock, has the power to veto decisions by the Council. The mayor’s veto can only be overturned by a 6-3 super majority.
Whitburn praised the AI-powered automated license plate readers. He said they have been an effective crime-fighting tool and he believed the San Diego Police Department had operated them responsibly.
But he framed his newfound opposition as a result of rising fear, particularly in immigrant communities, that President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown will somehow utilize data collected from the cameras. The city currently bans sharing such data with federal immigration officials.
