SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl is making the case for the department's license plate-reading surveillance technology ahead of a City Council vote that could end the city's contract with vendor Flock.
The Council is scheduled to vote Nov. 16 on whether to end its contract for the automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, a technology that has been debated in San Diego and across the country for months.
In an in-depth interview with ABC 10News Anchor Jared Aarons, Wahl said the department has built robust safeguards to ensure the cameras are used appropriately. He points to a council-approved Trust Ordinance and a privacy advisory board that oversees the use of all surveillance-connected technology.
"We have something special that we have built here in San Diego with our council, with our community," Wahl said. "What we're really trying to do is educate people on how we're using it, how we're auditing, and how we're being transparent about that auditing."
How officers access the data
To access the data, an officer must reference a specific case number with their inquiry. Wahl offered a recent example of how the technology is used.
A victim in the Rancho Peñasquitos area had their home broken into and noticed the break-in on their Ring cameras. The resident got home, saw the vehicle leaving their property, wrote down the license plate, and called police.
Although the suspect did not drive through an intersection with a reader, an officer used the department's 30 days of data retention to notice the vehicle frequented the area of 5100 University, where license plate readers are located. Officers drove into the area, spotted the car, made a traffic stop, and recovered $90,000 in stolen property, returning it to the victim within a couple of hours of the crime.
Auditing and oversight
Wahl said the department's auditing has caught problems over the years. When the vendor first installed the technology, it did not switch to the mode that prevents data sharing with other agencies. San Diego is a rare agency that does not share its data with anyone.
"Our auditing caught that within the first two weeks," Wahl said.
Other issues have involved officer training, such as unnecessary repetition in requests, which auditing can flag so officers can be retrained.
Wahl said the department retains the data, does not share it, and conducts auditing weekly, which exceeds the monthly expectation.
"We take the concerns, the privacy concerns, very seriously," Wahl said. "Outside of being a police officer, I'm a privacy rights advocate myself."
Chief speaks out on death penalty commutations
Wahl also addressed Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent announcement commuting the sentences of 538 death row inmates, who will now serve life in prison. The death penalty has not been used in California since 2006.
Wahl said his statement against the move was not about the broader debate over capital punishment. He noted that voters in 2012 and 2016 voted to keep the death penalty.
"But here you have an elected official that's on his way out the door that's making a change like that," Wahl said.
Wahl said he called the wife of Officer Jonathan De Guzman the night after the decision was made and found her weeping at her husband's gravesite.
"This isn't about the debate over whether we should or should not have the death penalty," Wahl said. "It's about the way that it was conducted and the way that it really felt like a slap in the face to the victims."
Wahl said speaking up for victims is his responsibility as chief of police.
Budget outlook
Wahl also discussed the city budget after Mayor Todd Gloria announced San Diego will have a balanced budget through 2031.
Wahl said he is overjoyed by the news after a difficult financial stretch. Since taking over as chief in June 2024, he said his department absorbed $11 million in cuts his first year, followed by $7 million the next year and more than $7 million this past year.
"I don't know what it's gonna be like not to make cuts, but I can tell you it's a great feeling," Wahl said.
The mayor's office has noted the police department's budget has increased each of the last few years, by $30 million and then by $15 million. Wahl said increases are driven by rising wages and contractual agreements with escalating costs, while operating cuts have still occurred year over year.
Wahl said he has had to cut personnel and overtime while trying to preserve officers in the field, maintain training, and support recruiting and retention. He said staffing levels are at the lowest they have been in decades.
Asked whether a balanced budget gives him leeway to request more funding, Wahl said many departments will be competing for resources.
"We will certainly be at that table arguing for the things that we need to keep people safe," Wahl said.
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