It's National Mini Golf Day! Why not celebrate with a trip to The Loma Club or Belmont Park?

🌤️Today's weather: Coast — cloudy, then sunny, high 71. Inland — cloudy, then sunny, high 74.

🎧 Sounds like: "I Can See for Miles" by The Who.

🎂 Happy belated birthday to our members Patrick Bouteller, Dion Akers and happy birthday to member Glenn Munlawin!

To our readers observing Yom Kippur, we wish you a day of reflection and peace.

Today's newsletter is 976 words — a 3.5-minute read.

We have among the densest arrays of automated license plate readers (ALPR) in the nation, according to publicly available data.

Why it matters: The database's insights come as questions have emerged about city oversight of San Diego police's use of Flock cameras, and as Americans of all political stripes increasingly push back against Flock and other surveillance systems.

How it works: Flock's cameras, and other automated license plate readers, are placed on streets and highways and use AI to capture and store information including license plates, car make and other features.

Catch up quick: The data comes via FindingFlock.com, a crowdsourced and volunteer-verified nationwide record of Flock and other ALPR locations.

• Local volunteers have documented 732 ALPRs in San Diego, the most of any California city in the Finding Flock index, and 3.5% of all such readers documented in the state.
• "At 2.3 per square mile (San Diego) is more densely covered than 63% of the 2,384 US cities indexed nationally," per Finding Flock.
• San Diego police say they own 500 of the ALPRs, and the rest are privately owned.

Countywide, about 1,400 readers have been identified by crowd sourcing, with about 45% of those having been identified as Flock cameras.

Go here for more on Finding Flock's methodology.

• The group has tallied roughly 141,400 cameras across the country.

These cameras can help police find stolen cars and wanted people, but their ability to track all vehicles all the time has fueled a growing privacy backlash and calls for tighter oversight or removal.

• Two San Diego men have sued the city, alleging police used ALPR data in their wrongful arrest last year.
• Concerns have also been raised about sharing data with federal immigration authorities.

The other side: Flock said last month that it's improving its privacy, security and accountability features.

• It's making misuse detection mandatory for all customers, and it suggests cities cut default data retention settings to one week, from 30 days.
• The company told Axios via email that the changes "come following a year of listening to customers, communities, and civil liberties groups and build on Flock's impact" in aiding about 1 million police investigations last year and helping find about 10,000 missing people.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that some of the ALPRs are privately owned.

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About 140,000 automated license plate readers, including thousands of Flock cameras, are installed across the U.S., according to Finding Flock

By the numbers: Harris County, Texas, home to Houston and nearly 5 million people, has more than 4,000 cameras logged on the Finding Flock map, the most of any county.

The debate is intensifying as some communities reconsider or remove the cameras amid concerns about surveillance and instances of misuse.

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🚓 Police are now disclosing the reasons officers access Flock cameras. The biggest reason is searching for stolen vehicles, but officers also chose "other" nearly 4,000 times. (Times of San Diego)

🤒 Five mumps cases were tied to a single SDSU athletic team. The students are no longer contagious, and the school is screening, testing and doing vaccine clinics for close contacts of the students. (NBC 7)

🎬 Viola Davis will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence at the San Diego International Film Festival in October. (10News)

🚲 Nearly 500 bikes ridden to Burning Man will now get a second life in Mexico. Volunteers cleaned and repaired them in National City, then rode them across the border. The bikes are headed to migrant shelters, community groups and families searching for missing loved ones. (Union-Tribune)

🐺 Have you seen this video yet of a family of coyotes howling and screaming outside someone's house in San Diego? (ABC News)

Our newsroom helps you follow the people, decisions and stories shaping San Diego — wherever they're happening.

Why it matters: Your membership supports the local reporting that keeps you informed, engaged and connected to the place you call home.

💪 Become an Axios San Diego member today and help keep trusted local journalism strong.

Thanks for supporting the news that keeps you connected.

A few weeks ago we told you about the banana coffee trend sweeping the nation.

• Some of you had more local recommendations for banana brews.

🍌 Banana Dang, Oceanside: Readers Deannie S. and Matt H. both recommended this Oceanside spot.

• It's really taken banana flavors to the next level with five banana-flavored drinks, but also has regular coffee, too.

☕ S3 Coffee Bar: Reader Angelina R. raved about its banana latte, saying it got her hooked on banana coffee. It might not still be on the regular menu, but you can ask for it.

🌴 Treehouse, Sorrento Mesa: Erica F. told us the Can-Do coffee counter offers banana cold foam and banana syrup that can be added to cold brews and lattes.

Are we still drinking banana coffee or did we move on to PSLs? Email us and let us know.

Talk about celebration. Ethan Salas hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning on Saturday, snagging the Padres a win over the Marlins.

• He was greeted with a dousing from Jackson Merrill.

The Padres won yesterday, too, and have won 13 of their last 14 games. Tomorrow, they take on the Dodgers as they continue to battle for a wild card spot.

😌 Claire did absolutely nothing this weekend and it was everything she thought it could be.

👩🏻‍🍼 Kate is on parental leave.

This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.