Today’s newsletter is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- Thanksgiving season is The Last Waltz season. San Diego’s tribute to the historic final concert from The Band is tonight at Belly Up — but that concert’s famed cameos from the biggest names in rock are replaced by some of the best current local musicians, like Anthony Cullins and Kimmi Bitter.
- And shoutout to reader Sara Isgur, who was first to correctly guess yesterday’s news quiz question. The answer was JCPenney, and we got the question from this article.
Andrew Keatts
General manager and editor
Top story
La Mesa weighs changes to Flock camera program after millions of license plate scans
La Mesa is considering changes to its use of automated license plate readers, following a Times of San Diego investigation.
The La Mesa Police Department told us it is weighing whether to leave a state network of automated license plate readers provided by Flock Safety, the company that operates the city’s camera network.
Because the city opted into that program, our Dorian Hargrove and Tessa Balc found that law enforcement agencies across the state accessed La Mesa’s surveillance records three million times during a seven-month stretch, or about every six seconds.
By comparison, La Mesa itself searched the database an average of six times per day during the same period.
“[Automated License Plate Readers] are an exceptionally valuable tool that helps us solve crimes, locate vehicles connected to criminal activity, and keep our communities safer,” La Mesa Police Department Lt. Travis Higgins said in a statement to Times of San Diego. “We also understand that this technology raises legitimate privacy concerns, and we take those concerns seriously.”
The department will now consider whether to limit which agencies it shares its data with, or whether to leave the network entirely.
The top two agencies to access La Mesa’s surveillance data during the period were the California Highway Patrol and the Riverside Sheriff’s Department.
The city will also soon require outside agencies that use its cameras to sign data-use agreements, which require officers to list the reasons for the search and stipulate that the searches will be used only for law enforcement purposes, as governed by city code.
The East County city’s reconsideration comes days before the city of San Diego prepares to reconsider whether to continue working with Flock at all. We’ll have more for you on that decision later this week.
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Stories you should know about
👶 Jacobs, in House leadership bid, says it’s time for Democratic majority to pass universal free child care: As a new Democratic majority gets ready to take over in the House, Rep. Sara Jacobs is running for a top leadership position — and she says the time is right to combat widespread affordability concerns.
🏈 ‘Super tough’ Santa Fe Christian aims to quiet doubts about spot in Open Division semifinals: Santa Fe Christian has 423 high schoolers. Its opponent in the vaunted Open Division of the CIF semifinals Friday, Carlsbad High, has 2,260. The Eagles are out to prove they belong, following an 11-0 season.
🪖 ‘Ronin 3: The Battle for Sangin’ depicts ferocious fights Camp Pendleton Marines faced in Afghanistan, circa 2010: The new, multipart Netflix documentary directed by award-winning journalist Jeanne McKinney features present-day interviews filmed at Camp Pendleton and USMC Recruit Depot San Diego about one of the most violent and lethal battlegrounds of the anti-insurgency operation.
What else we’re reading
❌ The Carlsbad City Council voted against a mixed-use development with seven apartments for the city’s downtown Village. This decision opens the door to potential legal and financial woes for Carlsbad, as the developer could sue for denying affordable housing that complies with state law. (Union-Tribune)
⚽️ San Diego has been selected as one of 20 potential host cities for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, scoring a 4 out of 5 for Snapdragon Stadium’s facilities and a perfect 5 out of 5 for accommodations. (KPBS)
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Locals Only
🧺 What’s the best picnic spot in the city of San Diego? Let us know and we’ll shoutout you and your recommendations tomorrow.
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