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Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal

Police say the software was exempt from an oversight process for surveillance tech.

News

Privacy advocates are alarmed that San Diego Police acquired a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="surveillance-related technology" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/12/10/san-diego-police-flock-license-plate-surveillance-cameras" data-vars-content-id="dbbead24-d45c-4136-afab-2ed17d56bd1c" data-vars-headline="Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/12/10/san-diego-police-flock-license-plate-surveillance-cameras" target="_self">surveillance-related technology</a> without going through the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="city&#x27;s public oversight process" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/01/24/council-amends-surveillance-oversight-ordinance" data-vars-content-id="dbbead24-d45c-4136-afab-2ed17d56bd1c" data-vars-headline="Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/01/24/council-amends-surveillance-oversight-ordinance" target="_self">city&#x27;s public oversight process</a>, but the police say the platform in question didn&#x27;t need that approval.Why it matters: The contract for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flock Nova" data-vars-click-url="https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-nova-smarter-investigations-faster-case-resolutions" data-vars-content-id="dbbead24-d45c-4136-afab-2ed17d56bd1c" data-vars-headline="Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-nova-smarter-investigations-faster-case-resolutions" target="_blank">Flock Nova</a> platform was quietly signed in December, as local residents and City Council members questioned police using <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flock&#x27;s Safety&#x27;s other surveillance technology" data-vars-click-url="https://transparency.flocksafety.com/san-diego-ca-pd" data-vars-content-id="dbbead24-d45c-4136-afab-2ed17d56bd1c" data-vars-headline="Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://transparency.flocksafety.com/san-diego-ca-pd" target="_blank">Flock&#x27;s Safety&#x27;s other surveillance technology</a> — specifically <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="license plate readers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/12/12/city-council-flock-alternatives-license-plate-reader-police-surveillance" data-vars-content-id="dbbead24-d45c-4136-afab-2ed17d56bd1c" data-vars-headline="Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/12/12/city-council-flock-alternatives-license-plate-reader-police-surveillance" target="_self">license plate readers</a> — to assist investigations.

8 things to do in San Diego this weekend

From Gaslamp fiestas to Del Mar food stalls and live shows, here's what to do this weekend.

Things to Do

We&#x27;ve got you covered if you&#x27;re looking for plans this weekend.The big picture: Cinco de Mayo celebrations, food festivals and live shows are taking over San Diego as May kicks off.

Scoop: AI is helping answer San Diego 911 calls

The city is using AI agents to sort nonemergency calls and assist dispatchers with transcripts and prompts.

Public Safety

San Diego has rolled out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AI for police dispatchers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/01/how-san-diego-uses-ai-government-copilot-gemini-future-potholes-records-requests" data-vars-content-id="67608916-df80-467d-93a9-4d57f51f8dad" data-vars-headline="Scoop: AI is helping answer San Diego 911 calls" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/01/how-san-diego-uses-ai-government-copilot-gemini-future-potholes-records-requests" target="_self">AI for police dispatchers</a>, including AI agents that answer non-emergency calls and automatically classify calls by type, per a contract obtained exclusively by Axios.Why it matters: The contract is another example of the city using <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AI technology" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/10/20/san-diego-chula-vista-police-drones" data-vars-content-id="67608916-df80-467d-93a9-4d57f51f8dad" data-vars-headline="Scoop: AI is helping answer San Diego 911 calls" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/10/20/san-diego-chula-vista-police-drones" target="_self">AI technology</a> to help employees be more efficient, but advocates warn it could <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="violate privacy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/29/san-diego-police-flock-nova-surveillance-technology-contract-review" data-vars-content-id="67608916-df80-467d-93a9-4d57f51f8dad" data-vars-headline="Scoop: AI is helping answer San Diego 911 calls" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/29/san-diego-police-flock-nova-surveillance-technology-contract-review" target="_self">violate privacy</a>.

The life of a San Diego rattlesnake tracker

Using radio tags and AI, a San Diego researcher tracks how rattlesnakes react to habitat disruption.

Environment

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Indiana Jones" data-vars-click-url="https://youtu.be/e2K-WA6NQC0?si=KdrG2pZXT7u5Q3Wv&amp;t=25" data-vars-content-id="f580eade-fc9a-43e2-a110-a910849fa198" data-vars-headline="The life of a San Diego rattlesnake tracker" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://youtu.be/e2K-WA6NQC0?si=KdrG2pZXT7u5Q3Wv&amp;t=25" target="_blank">Indiana Jones</a> would not want Vincent Marcantonio&#x27;s job. The SDSU graduate student spends his days in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mission Trails" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/08/whats-happening-mission-trails-projects-pipeline-construction-visitor-center-renovation" data-vars-content-id="f580eade-fc9a-43e2-a110-a910849fa198" data-vars-headline="The life of a San Diego rattlesnake tracker" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/04/08/whats-happening-mission-trails-projects-pipeline-construction-visitor-center-renovation" target="_self">Mission Trails</a> tracking rattlesnakes.The big picture: Marcantonio implants snakes with small radio transmitters so he can study how they spend their days.<ul><li>That will tell him how the snakes respond to places with lots of hikers and big construction projects, including the nearby pipe replacement in Mission Trails.</li></ul>

California's prison death rates rose amid COVID

The death rate in California prisons jumped during COVID, though not as much as in prisons nationwide.

COVID

Death rates among incarcerated people in California, as well as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="many other states" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/covid-prison-deaths" data-vars-content-id="1c634daf-c5e8-499f-b90f-31ec064d1ee5" data-vars-headline="California&#x27;s prison death rates rose amid COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/covid-prison-deaths" target="_self">many other states</a>, increased significantly during the worst days of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 pandemic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/08/americas-split-on-whether-the-pandemic-is-over" data-vars-content-id="1c634daf-c5e8-499f-b90f-31ec064d1ee5" data-vars-headline="California&#x27;s prison death rates rose amid COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/08/americas-split-on-whether-the-pandemic-is-over" target="_self">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, researchers say.Why it matters: It&#x27;s long been clear that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="prisons struggled to contain" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/10/us/covid-prison-outbreak.html" data-vars-content-id="1c634daf-c5e8-499f-b90f-31ec064d1ee5" data-vars-headline="California&#x27;s prison death rates rose amid COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/10/us/covid-prison-outbreak.html" target="_blank">prisons struggled to contain</a> COVID outbreaks, but understanding its true impact in prisons is key to ensuring &quot;we don&#x27;t do this again in the future when we have another pandemic, another crisis,&quot; researcher <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Naomi Sugie told the Marshall Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/04/18/covid-prison-deaths-data" data-vars-content-id="1c634daf-c5e8-499f-b90f-31ec064d1ee5" data-vars-headline="California&#x27;s prison death rates rose amid COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/04/18/covid-prison-deaths-data" target="_blank">Naomi Sugie told the Marshall Project</a>.

Revising San Diego's downtown recovery

Researchers studying downtown recoveries nationwide no longer see San Diego as a model.

Downtown San Diego <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="may not be" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/us-cities-downtown-future" data-vars-content-id="185fe3a0-abe3-4dd7-b7fa-6be64be11e2e" data-vars-headline="Revising San Diego&#x27;s downtown recovery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/us-cities-downtown-future" target="_self">may not be</a> the post-pandemic <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="success story" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2023/08/03/downtown-san-diego-pandemic-recovery-top" data-vars-content-id="185fe3a0-abe3-4dd7-b7fa-6be64be11e2e" data-vars-headline="Revising San Diego&#x27;s downtown recovery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2023/08/03/downtown-san-diego-pandemic-recovery-top" target="_self">success story</a> many had hoped for.Driving the news: The number of unique visitors to downtown San Diego this spring reached 80% of its pre-pandemic level, according to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="updated analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings" data-vars-content-id="185fe3a0-abe3-4dd7-b7fa-6be64be11e2e" data-vars-headline="Revising San Diego&#x27;s downtown recovery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings" target="_blank">updated analysis</a> from the University of Toronto&#x27;s School of Cities.

San Diego works from home above U.S. average

Remote work declined in San Diego in 2022, but it still outpaced the national average.

Overall, 15.2% of the U.S. worked from home in 2022, but remote work is much more prevalent on the coasts and in the country&#x27;s largest metro areas.Zoom in: Remote work dipped in San Diego last year, but continued to outpace the nationwide average.

New COVID-19 vaccines coming to San Diego this week

The newly FDA-approved shots should be available at clinics and pharmacies this week.

Updated COVID vaccines should be available for San Diegans starting this week.Catch up quick: Last week, San Diego County joined the CDC in recommending the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="newly FDA-approved" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/fda-approves-updated-covid-19-vaccines" data-vars-content-id="e3740461-ea7d-4885-8bb4-67864576ad00" data-vars-headline="New COVID-19 vaccines coming to San Diego this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/fda-approves-updated-covid-19-vaccines" target="_self">newly FDA-approved</a> Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for anyone ages <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="6 months and older" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/cdc-advisors-endorse-updated-covid-vaccines" data-vars-content-id="e3740461-ea7d-4885-8bb4-67864576ad00" data-vars-headline="New COVID-19 vaccines coming to San Diego this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/cdc-advisors-endorse-updated-covid-vaccines" target="_self">6 months and older</a>.

Downtown San Diego's pandemic-era recovery is among the best in U.S.

Experts say the city's doing better because it relies on office jobs less than other downtowns.

Downtown San Diego foot traffic is 88% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/us-cities-downtown-future" data-vars-content-id="7ee5a9fd-4d3a-41e0-8e4b-9adfaa448dd0" data-vars-headline="Downtown San Diego&#x27;s pandemic-era recovery is among the best in U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/us-cities-downtown-future" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report</a>, placing its recovery among the top cities in the country.<ul><li>That&#x27;s based on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="anonymized mobile phone activity" data-vars-click-url="https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings" data-vars-content-id="7ee5a9fd-4d3a-41e0-8e4b-9adfaa448dd0" data-vars-headline="Downtown San Diego&#x27;s pandemic-era recovery is among the best in U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings" target="_blank">anonymized mobile phone activity</a> analyzed by the School of Cities at the University of Toronto.</li></ul>

🐈 1 chart to go: Our need for vets

1 chart to go: Our need for vets

Axios What's Next

Data: The Marshall Project via U.C. Irvine and Brigham and Women's Hospital; Note: Rates calculated using prison populations at the start of each year; Chart: Axios Visuals

California's COVID-19 wastewater levels are high, per CDC

San Francisco

Weekly COVID-19 activity in California wastewater

Data: CDC; Note: Data for the two most recent weeks may be incomplete due to delays in reporting; Chart: Alice Feng/Axios

COVID 🦠

1 chart to go: Our need for vets

California's prison death rates rose amid COVID

California's COVID-19 wastewater levels are high, per CDC

Revising San Diego's downtown recovery

San Diego works from home above U.S. average