SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Police Department is hoping to install 500 new streetlight surveillance cameras, including license plate readers, throughout the city to help fight crime.
But first, the community will have a chance to weigh in on this multi-million dollar purchase.
Back in 2020, thousands of so-called 'Smart streetlights' were shut down by the city, following fierce public outcry over privacy concerns.
In the wake of that public protest, San Diego then approved special ordinances requiring more transparency and community input before adopting new surveillance technologies. This recent proposal by San Diego Police will provide the first big test of that new process.
"I want to make sure that the city is not just 'checking boxes'... that we are actually engaging in the process," said Homayra Yusufi, who is part of the TRUST SD Coalition, which helped to craft these new city ordinances, requiring a thorough public vetting of new surveillance technology before it's adopted by the city.
In this case, the San Diego Police Department wants to install 500 new streetlight cameras throughout the city, which will also include license plate readers, to use as a crime-fighting tool, according to the department's web site.
"As a Muslim woman, I care about these things," Yusufi said. "I care about how it will impact my community, how it will impact different communities throughout San Diego."
While San Diego Police did not respond to CBS 8's request for comment, according to their web site, these technologies -- including automated license plate readers - will provide "objective, real-time and investigative leads."
Members of the TRUST SD Coalition, though, have many questions.
"Where is our data going, how is it going to be used, what experiences have other cities had with it?" demanded Lilly Irani of the TRUST SD Coalition. "That's not anywhere in the presentations that we've been able to find online."
According to SDPD, video footage not accessed for investigative purposes will be overwritten after 15 days from the cloud, and is not downloaded or archived.
The city has also scheduled nine different public meetings on these proposed technologies next week, five of which are scheduled for either the early afternoon or late morning.
"Many of us are working folks and we're not going to be able to participate in this process," Yusufi added, "and I know that we want to be able to engage."
San Diego Police have said acquiring 500 cameras, including the license plate readers, would cost $4 million, and would be paid for through the city's general fund, along with grants.
"We could be using that money putting actual lighting on the streets, keeping libraries open, creating job programs, creating after school programs," said Irani.
The public will have until March 10 to weigh in on this proposal. For more information, including the dates and times of the scheduled public meetings, click here.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego surveillance ordinance aims to strike balance between public safety and personal privacy (Nov. 2022).