# San Diego Strengthens License Plate Reader Oversight

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria defended the city’s automated license plate reader program, saying it has supported nearly 900 criminal investigations and helped recover more than $8.7 million in stolen property. The city’s TRUST Ordinance, audits, public reporting, and tighter access controls indicate that surveillance-technology deployments will continue to face privacy and accountability oversight. The signal identifies no procurement or solicitation, but it is relevant to agencies and suppliers managing or pursuing public-safety technology programs in San Diego.

- Agencies evaluating or administering surveillance technology should account for the city’s stated oversight mechanisms, including audits, public reporting, and access controls.
- Technology providers serving municipal law-enforcement programs may need to support transparency and accountability practices alongside operational capabilities.
- The city’s reported investigative and property-recovery outcomes provide context for public-sector assessments of both the benefits and oversight expectations of license plate reader systems.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- City of San Diego
- San Diego City Council

### Vendors
- Flock ()

### Key Quotes
> San Diegans deserve a police department equipped to investigate serious crimes and a city government committed to protecting their civil liberties.
> — Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego

### Sources
- [San Diego mayor defends license plate reader technology](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/san-diego-mayor-defends-license-195027078.html) - Yahoo