San Diego leaders push police to seek alternatives to Flock for surveillance

Driving the news: Council leaders Joe LaCava and Kent Lee sent Mayor Todd Gloria and San Diego police chief Scott Wahl a memo Wednesday asking the police department to issue a new request for information (RFI) for vendors of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology.

• Flock's ALPR system is part of the city's contract with Ubicquia Inc. for surveillance technology, signed in 2023 without a competitive bidding process.
• LaCava and Lee this week voted in favor of keeping Flock's license plate camera system. But they're calling for a review of other qualified vendors due to data safety concerns with Flock, which has faced scrutiny for sharing data with federal and out-of-state agencies in cities nationwide, violating state laws.
• An RFI would also allow city leaders to review the existing contract to address recommendations from the city's Privacy Advisory Board and city council.

The latest: The mayor's office is working with SDPD and the city attorney's office to "explore next steps to honor the councilmembers' request," Gloria's spokesperson Dave Rolland told Axios.

• SDPD received the memo and "will continue to engage in robust and transparent discussions on this topic in the weeks and months ahead," SDPD communications manager Ashley Nicholes said via email.

Between the lines: At the meeting, public speakers and councilmembers raised questions about how and by whom the multimillion-dollar contract was secured.

• Former SDPD police captain Jeffrey Jordon, who helped select Flock to run the city's surveillance system, started working for the Atlanta-based company about three months after retiring from SDPD in April, the Union-Tribune first reported.
• Jordon's employment is not illegal and didn't break any city rules, and there is no evidence of quid pro quo during contract negotiations or Flock paying Jordon or any other city employees to install the cameras, per the U-T.

What they're saying: "[Jordon] negotiating this contract and now working for Flock — I think that is totally inappropriate," Councilmember Henry Foster III said at the meeting.

• Foster questioned Wahl about Jordon's involvement with San Diego's account, but Wahl said the department was not dealing with Jordon directly on the contract or the service.

• Jordon declined to comment to Axios on Friday.
• "City employees become subject matter experts in their respective jobs, and outside companies recognize that talent and expertise. It is not uncommon for public employees to join private sector companies after they've separated from the City," Nicholes, the SDPD spokesperson, told Axios via email.
• She said there are rules for how former employees can engage with the city in their new roles, particularly if they have previously interacted with them during their tenure. It's up to that individual to comply, and the department also ensures it follows the guidelines, Nicholes said.

Zoom out: Jordon's hiring wasn't the first time Flock brought on employees from cities where the company has done business or is looking to do business.

• Former El Cajon police chief Mike Moulton, who oversaw the implementation of Flock's ALPR camera system, joined the company as a consultant when he retired from the force in 2024, according to his LinkedIn.
• Cleveland officials are now considering replacing the city's gunshot detection network with Flock Safety after a city councilman resigned mid-term in September to work for Flock.

What's next: The 2025 annual report for SDPD's surveillance tech, which will be reviewed by council, comes out in February.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to note that the city council meeting was Tuesday, Dec. 9 (not last week).