28 Homicides: The Number Behind San Diego's License Plate Reader Debate
Council members plan to drop the city’s contract with Flock despite police data showing the cameras helped solve more than a third of last year’s murders.
By Harper Foster ·
San Diego City Council members are moving to terminate the city’s contract with Flock, the provider of automated license plate readers, a decision that contrasts with local crime statistics.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl states that his agency has not used the technology to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He notes that license plate data contributed to solving 10 of the 28 homicides recorded in San Diego in 2025. Police officials also credit the system with a 20% year-over-year reduction in auto thefts, as well as arrests in sexual predation cases and the location of dementia patients.
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn announced on Oct. 13 that he would serve as a fifth vote to end the city’s agreement with Flock. He spoke at a news conference while acknowledging the technology has helped solve crimes and that he believes the police department uses the tools responsibly. On Oct. 21, a council committee voted unanimously to support ending the contract.
Whitburn argued that if residents feel unsafe due to the cameras, the tools have lost their effectiveness as a public safety measure. He cited public sentiment as a primary driver for the proposal, suggesting that widespread discomfort outweighs operational benefits.
Mayor Todd Gloria has expressed support for the use of license plate readers. He indicated openness to implementing stronger guardrails or switching to a different vendor with a cleaner record than Flock. This position offers a middle ground between retaining the current system and eliminating it entirely.
The push to remove the cameras follows a national trend of scrutiny toward Flock. Controversies have arisen regarding police use of the data to track women and the sharing of camera information with ICE in other states. In San Diego, however, no evidence has persuasively shown that the department broke local or state laws regarding the use of the data.
The full City Council is expected to vote on the termination of the Flock contract in the coming weeks. The move reflects a preference among a majority of council members to end the arrangement rather than revise it, despite the documented role of the technology in recent criminal investigations.
