Activists Protest Rollout of ‘Smart Streetlamps’ Across San Diego Due to Surveillance Concerns

Activists Protest Rollout of ‘Smart Streetlamps’ Across San Diego Due to Surveillance Concerns

The mayor says that the only people who should be concerned about the video-enabled streetlamps are people committing “violent crimes on a street corner in full public view.”

Though San Diego first approved its plan for sensor-equipped streetlights in 2016, the city is only now facing backlash for the program after local organizers and activists became concerned about the lights’ acoustic sensors and surveillance cameras.

Officials paid $30 million to install 4,200 lights and upgrade 8,700 others to LED bulbs, according to StateScoop. The first phase of the retrofitting process with CityIQ nodes -- which have environmental, acoustic and optical sensors -- started last year, but the city only began holding community forums about the technology in June.

The delay in community involvement has many advocacy groups across San Diego worried about how the “smart streetlights” will be used, particularly when it comes to policing minority groups. On Sept. 15, Dustin Craun, the executive director of the San Diego Council on American-Islamic Relations, drew attention to the program with a Medium post documenting his concern that mosques were under extreme surveillance due to the streetlamps.

“With the Trump administrations targeting of Muslim communities we cannot allow this technology to be in place, especially if the Trump administration were to stay in power and increase targeting of Muslim communities in his second term,” Craun wrote.

Craun’s organization and other advocacy groups took their concerns to the steps of City Hall last week as part of a protest calling for a moratorium on “smart streetlights” until residents have been informed about what data is being collected and how the city is using it. About 50 demonstrators participated in the protest, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

“Until there is oversight by the community and policy that is legally enforceable in place and an ordinance written into law, you cannot use these smart streetlights any further,” Geneviéve Jones-Wright, legal director for the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, told the newspaper.

City officials admit that they could have started public education efforts sooner in order to prevent confusion about the streetlamp program. Jeffrey Jordan, a San Diego police captain who oversees the camera program, told StateScoop that the nodes’ acoustic sensors are enabled but not activated.

Jordan added that fewer than 100 police officers are authorized to review footage from the cameras if a crime occurred, and their interactions with the footage are audited. Footage has been accessed 164 times in the last 13 months it has been available, he said.

Activists planned to send a letter to the mayor demanding the program be discontinued until their concerns are resolved. As of now, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has supported the program as a major sustainability initiative, is standing behind it.

"The Mayor is a strong support of using technology to improve the lives of San Diegans and the smart streetlight program is used to collect valuable information, such as traffic and pedestrian counts, that can be used for future planning,” a spokesperson for the mayor said in a written statement. “The San Diego Police Department uses the streetlight cameras only to investigate crimes that have already occurred and never for surveillance.”

“The bottom line is you have nothing to worry about unless you decide to commit a violent crime on a street corner in full public view."

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.