Public Safety
San Diego council gains majority to end Flock camera contract
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn's reversal gives opponents of San Diego's automated license-plate reader contract a simple council majority, setting up a potential clash with Mayor Todd Gloria.
Whitburn said Tuesday that he now wants the city to turn off more than 500 Flock cameras and cancel the contract. Voice of San Diego reported that his position creates a simple majority on the nine-member council that could end the agreement.
Whitburn had supported the cameras during June budget hearings. He said they have helped police but argued that rising fear in immigrant communities about possible federal access to surveillance data has undermined their value as a public-safety tool. San Diego currently prohibits sharing the data with federal immigration officials.
Cameras: More than 500 citywide
Next scheduled review: Public Safety Committee in mid-November, followed by the full council
Mayor's authority: A council decision can be vetoed
Override threshold: Six of nine council votes
Mayor and police defend the program
Mayor Todd Gloria reaffirmed his support for the readers in a city statement, saying they have assisted in nearly 900 criminal investigations and helped recover more than $8.7 million in stolen property. He cited San Diego's TRUST Ordinance, auditing, public reporting and access controls as safeguards.
Police Chief Scott Wahl also defended the technology, telling Voice of San Diego that it has helped solve more than 900 cases. Unless the council takes up the issue sooner, Whitburn said the annual surveillance report expected at the Public Safety Committee in mid-November could lead to a full-council decision the following month. Gloria could veto a cancellation; six votes would be required to override him.
Sources: Voice of San Diego — October 13, 2026 → · City of San Diego — October 13, 2026 →