Liberal San Francisco continues use of Flock surveillance cameras

Despite growing privacy concerns and pushback in other U.S. regions, San Francisco has reaffirmed its commitment to using Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. The city recently adopted a new policy that maintains the deployment of over 400 cameras while introducing stricter oversight, such as requiring police to obtain managerial approval and demonstrate a connection to an active criminal investigation before accessing data older than 30 days. While city officials, including former Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, credit these AI-powered tools for helping reduce crime rates, the direct correlation remains debated. Supported by local tech-focused groups like GrowSF, the initiative reflects the city's broader alignment with Silicon Valley’s tech-forward approach to public safety. As crime rates have dropped significantly since 2022, the city continues to balance surveillance utility with new regulatory safeguards to address public privacy concerns.