SAN DIEGO — As the San Diego Police Department looks to install 500 new streetlight surveillance cameras and license plate readers, CBS 8 is getting a closer look at the effectiveness of the technology.
The City of Carlsbad approved license plate readers in 2017, and updated technology was approved last summer. The license plate identification technology helped the Carlsbad Police arrest robbery and even homicide suspects, according to the city. This January, a license plate was used to track down a woman who allegedly broke into a Rite Aid Store and stole more than $9,000 of medicine.
SDPD is holding a series of meetings about the so-called "smart streetlights." People attended a meeting in Balboa Park Tuesday where the police answered questions about the technology.
Ocean Beach resident Jacob McGennis says he was aware San Diego shut down thousands of its smart streetlights in 2020 amid an outcry of privacy concerns from the public.
"We're not using it for random searches; we're not using it for facial recognition," said the SDPD during the meeting.
The department said the technology is only used to investigate after a crime, and the data becomes unrecoverable after 30 days. The city said smart streetlights helped them investigate 400 cases between 2018 and 2020.
"It makes me feel more confident about their ability to help solve crimes," McGennis said.
More meetings about this technology will happen over the next few days.
- March 8, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., SDPD Mid-City Division station, 4310 Landis St
- March 8, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., City View Church, 8404 Phyllis Place
- March 9, noon-3 p.m., Mira Mesa Library, 8405 New Salem St.
- March 9, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Bridge Church, 3714 Teak St.
- March 10, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.
Public comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. this Friday.
WATCH RELATED: Public hearings on San Diego 'Smart Streetlights' slated