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"title": "San José’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez Will Be Renamed Plaza de San José ",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than six months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> put a plan in motion to rename the downtown park and plaza long named for Cesar Chavez, city leaders have made a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The elliptical gathering space in downtown will now be known as Plaza de San José, after a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José took first place in a ranked-choice survey of five naming options that was put to residents in the summer. With more than 10,500 responses to the survey, it earned more first-choice votes than the second-place and third-place options combined, according to city reports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City staff said the park renaming work will go out to bid later this year and a contract should be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City staff said the park renaming work will go out to bid later this year and a contract should be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "San José leaders chose Plaza de San José as the new name for a park that long bore the name of Cesar Chavez. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than six months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> put a plan in motion to rename the downtown park and plaza long named for Cesar Chavez, city leaders have made a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The elliptical gathering space in downtown will now be known as Plaza de San José, after a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José took first place in a ranked-choice survey of five naming options that was put to residents in the summer. With more than 10,500 responses to the survey, it earned more first-choice votes than the second-place and third-place options combined, according to city reports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City staff said the park renaming work will go out to bid later this year and a contract should be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San José Launches Its Automated Speed Cameras. Here’s Where They’ll Be",
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"headTitle": "San José Launches Its Automated Speed Cameras. Here’s Where They’ll Be | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> has launched its automated speed safety camera program in an effort to curb the city’s most deadly driving behavior, Mayor Matt Mahan announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is really about enhancing community safety,” Mahan said. “It’s devastating to meet families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to traffic accidents, and particularly speeding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speeding is the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in San José, Mahan said. The city has, so far, recorded 41 traffic-related deaths this year — down from a high of 65 in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said more people die in traffic deaths than by homicide in San José.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17yS8nWG7aEm0iPHhaYgVvAm72UjawrE&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said Aileen was killed instantly, and he and his wife Elizabeth then spent five years advocating for a speed camera pilot to state lawmakers in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is really about enhancing community safety,” Mahan said. “It’s devastating to meet families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to traffic accidents, and particularly speeding.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Speeding is the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in San José, Mahan said. The city has, so far, recorded 41 traffic-related deaths this year — down from a high of 65 in 2022. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Quiroz said Aileen was killed instantly, and he and his wife Elizabeth then spent five years advocating for a speed camera pilot to state lawmakers in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> has launched its automated speed safety camera program in an effort to curb the city’s most deadly driving behavior, Mayor Matt Mahan announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is really about enhancing community safety,” Mahan said. “It’s devastating to meet families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to traffic accidents, and particularly speeding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speeding is the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in San José, Mahan said. The city has, so far, recorded 41 traffic-related deaths this year — down from a high of 65 in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said more people die in traffic deaths than by homicide in San José.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17yS8nWG7aEm0iPHhaYgVvAm72UjawrE&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said Aileen was killed instantly, and he and his wife Elizabeth then spent five years advocating for a speed camera pilot to state lawmakers in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San José’s Police Watchdog Report Shows Complaints, Uses of Force Increased",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "San José’s independent police auditor called for guarantees that completed investigations will be shared with his office faster. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf",
"title": "As Bay Area Cities Break Up With Flock, Pushback to Surveillance Mounts in SF",
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"headTitle": "As Bay Area Cities Break Up With Flock, Pushback to Surveillance Mounts in SF | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Tensions around police surveillance technology are boiling over as Flock’s contract with San Francisco faces renewal in February 2027.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-san-jose-tries-to-regulate-data-centers-residents-want-to-ban-them",
"title": "As San José Tries to Regulate Data Centers, Residents Want to Ban Them",
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"headTitle": "As San José Tries to Regulate Data Centers, Residents Want to Ban Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As San José officials rolled out new proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099195/full-on-backlash-against-data-centers-occurring-as-san-jose-courts-them\">data center development standards\u003c/a>, moving one step closer to enshrining them, residents and environmental advocates staged rallies and packed City Hall demanding an outright moratorium on the power-hungry facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He pledged in an interview last month that the city would set some of the “highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard” from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan watches a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104844\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man holds up signs during a rally by people demanding a halt to data center development outside of San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen during a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He pledged in an interview last month that the city would set some of the “highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard” from residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As San José officials rolled out new proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099195/full-on-backlash-against-data-centers-occurring-as-san-jose-courts-them\">data center development standards\u003c/a>, moving one step closer to enshrining them, residents and environmental advocates staged rallies and packed City Hall demanding an outright moratorium on the power-hungry facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He pledged in an interview last month that the city would set some of the “highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard” from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan watches a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104844\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man holds up signs during a rally by people demanding a halt to data center development outside of San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen during a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "staring-down-a-historic-el-nino-san-jose-says-its-ready",
"title": "Staring Down a Historic El Niño, San José Says It’s Ready",
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"headTitle": "Staring Down a Historic El Niño, San José Says It’s Ready | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is ramping up preparations for what forecasters warn could be a “very strong” El Niño, in an effort to avoid another major flood — like the one that prompted mass evacuations almost a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has increased communication with the Santa Clara Valley Water District since learning what Mayor Matt Mahan called “hard lessons” after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027875/san-jose-floodwalls-should-shield-neighborhoods-against-20-year-flood\">2017 Coyote Creek flood\u003c/a> — which displaced thousands and prompted the city to grade itself an ‘F’ in emergency preparedness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff is monitoring dozens of historical flooding sites, with the Transportation Department holding a storm coordination meeting to review emergency response procedures — upgraded public safety measures thanks to the passage of the 2018 bond measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coyote Creek as seen from Berryessa Rd. in San José on Sept. 6, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr>\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is ramping up preparations for what forecasters warn could be a “very strong” El Niño, in an effort to avoid another major flood — like the one that prompted mass evacuations almost a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has increased communication with the Santa Clara Valley Water District since learning what Mayor Matt Mahan called “hard lessons” after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027875/san-jose-floodwalls-should-shield-neighborhoods-against-20-year-flood\">2017 Coyote Creek flood\u003c/a> — which displaced thousands and prompted the city to grade itself an ‘F’ in emergency preparedness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff is monitoring dozens of historical flooding sites, with the Transportation Department holding a storm coordination meeting to review emergency response procedures — upgraded public safety measures thanks to the passage of the 2018 bond measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coyote Creek as seen from Berryessa Rd. in San José on Sept. 6, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Santa Clara County District Attorney is calling for a new approach to keeping kids safe.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-averts-strike-with-tentative-labor-deal",
"title": "San José Averts Strike With Tentative Labor Deal",
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"headTitle": "San José Averts Strike With Tentative Labor Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan called it a “great milestone” for the city and its workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got to a place where I believe and I certainly hope our workforce feels respected and valued and knows that we stretch to get them every dollar we can, while also giving assurance to our residents that their service levels will be maintained and over time increased as we hire more people and adopt technology and see the economy continue to grow,” Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor, Matt Mahan, speaks at a press conference ahead of The Golden State Valkyries’ second playoff run on Violet Day outside of San José City Hall in San José on Sept. 25, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to pay our workforce fairly and make sure people can afford to live in the community that they serve without sacrificing essential services from emergency response to library hours. And I think we struck that balance in this deal,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, IFPTE Local 21 said the agreement “represents significant progress toward addressing workers’ priorities, such as AI guardrails and employee retention, and securing a contract that recognizes and respects the workers who keep the city running.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous public proposals showed the unions were asking for a 14% wage increase over three years, while the city had offered 9% in the same time frame. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The additional pay based on the city’s budget and the bonus pay appeared to be the primary wage differences between the current tentative deal and the city’s past offers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini \u003c/a>and Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan called it a “great milestone” for the city and its workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got to a place where I believe and I certainly hope our workforce feels respected and valued and knows that we stretch to get them every dollar we can, while also giving assurance to our residents that their service levels will be maintained and over time increased as we hire more people and adopt technology and see the economy continue to grow,” Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor, Matt Mahan, speaks at a press conference ahead of The Golden State Valkyries’ second playoff run on Violet Day outside of San José City Hall in San José on Sept. 25, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to pay our workforce fairly and make sure people can afford to live in the community that they serve without sacrificing essential services from emergency response to library hours. And I think we struck that balance in this deal,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, IFPTE Local 21 said the agreement “represents significant progress toward addressing workers’ priorities, such as AI guardrails and employee retention, and securing a contract that recognizes and respects the workers who keep the city running.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous public proposals showed the unions were asking for a 14% wage increase over three years, while the city had offered 9% in the same time frame. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The additional pay based on the city’s budget and the bonus pay appeared to be the primary wage differences between the current tentative deal and the city’s past offers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini \u003c/a>and Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy",
"title": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy ",
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"headTitle": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A judge dismissed a lawsuit against San José over its massive network of automated license plate readers. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-leaders-consider-increasing-parking-rates",
"title": "San José Leaders Back Off Parking Rate Increase",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The San José City Council opposed increasing parking meter rates over concerns about impacts on downtown businesses. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that",
"title": "It’s Not Illegal for California Police to Misuse Flock Data. San José Leaders Want to Change That",
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"headTitle": "It’s Not Illegal for California Police to Misuse Flock Data. San José Leaders Want to Change That | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>San José officials said they plan to tighten rules for accessing the city’s automatic license plate reader system after a police officer was fired for misusing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/flock-safety\">Flock \u003c/a>database to track a civilian who accused his family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A memo from Vice Mayor Pam Foley and Mayor Matt Mahan would petition the California state Legislature to find a way to add criminal penalties as one of the potential consequences for when an officer misuses license plate reader data, Foley told KQED on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There ought to be more ways that we can hold an officer who misuses the information accountable than just firing him. But there is not that provision or that capability right now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12064595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan helps to install a Flock Safety brand automated license plate reader on April 23, 2024. Civil liberties groups are now suing the city and Mahan over the technology’s uses. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to San José Police Chief Paul Joseph, an off-duty officer used a personal device to perform unauthorized license plate reader searches and locate a victim’s vehicle. He then shared the location with the suspect, who was a relative of the officer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officer was immediately placed on leave and later terminated following a criminal investigation, Joseph said in an email. The case was submitted to the state for a decertification investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When an officer violates the public’s trust this severely, my responsibility is clear: that person cannot remain in a position of police authority, and they cannot wear the San José badge,” the chief said. “This technology is new; the standard is not.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But no criminal charges were filed against the officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said improper access by a police officer is outside the reach of state criminal law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Laws like California’s computer system hacking statute have been interpreted by the US Supreme Court to apply only to persons who are not authorized to access a computer system from doing so,” the DA’s office said. “There is no law that makes it a crime for a police officer to improperly access an agency’s license plate reader database. Only the state legislature can make this conduct a crime.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to addressing that gap, the proposal will strengthen audits of individual user searches, including increasing the frequency and number of audits with annual reports to city oversight committees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The annual reports will include records that flag officers for accessing license plate readers without legitimate law enforcement purpose, suspicious search activity and any other violations of the city’s policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg\" alt=\"A worker in a high visibility vest holds up a black camera.\" class=\"wp-image-12095776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new Automated License Plate Reader that was being installed in East San José on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s important that we show the community that what happened we take seriously, and we want to put as many stipulations in effect as we can not let these things happen again,” Foley said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The memo also recommends strengthening the police department’s and the city’s policies to prohibit officers from accessing any law enforcement database, including Flock camera data, with personally owned devices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Foley emphasized the goal of the memo, which will be released on Friday, is to add more guardrails in place, she said the city does not plan to change or eliminate its contract with Flock Safety, citing public safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need this tool to help really solve serious crimes,” Foley said. “We have to do what we can do to protect our community by being able to solve crimes as quickly as possible, and that’s with the use of this technology.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, SJPD said the new standards “will help maintain trust with our community that the data is being used as intended.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They will also ensure that anyone who breaches the community’s trust will face administrative and criminal consequences,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078562\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee and North White roads in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates for civil liberties and immigrant protections, however, said the incident was proof that license-plate reading cameras and other surveillance tools are “not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> “It is a blatant violation of our community’s trust to learn that a sworn police officer abused our private ALPR data for their personal purposes on their personal phone for their personal contact to stalk and endanger a domestic violence survivor,” said Kimberly Woo, a community organizer from SIREN, a group that has sued San José, along with civil liberties groups, over Flock cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mass surveillance goes beyond one company, one vendor, and one ‘bad actor,’” the statement said. “Mass warrantless surveillance from ALPRs makes our people vulnerable to who is in power to turn our data into the wrong hands.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">\u003cem>Elize Manoukian\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12064595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan helps to install a Flock Safety brand automated license plate reader on April 23, 2024. Civil liberties groups are now suing the city and Mahan over the technology’s uses.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When an officer violates the public’s trust this severely, my responsibility is clear: that person cannot remain in a position of police authority, and they cannot wear the San José badge,” the chief said. “This technology is new; the standard is not.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But no criminal charges were filed against the officer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said improper access by a police officer is outside the reach of state criminal law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Laws like California’s computer system hacking statute have been interpreted by the US Supreme Court to apply only to persons who are not authorized to access a computer system from doing so,” the DA’s office said. “There is no law that makes it a crime for a police officer to improperly access an agency’s license plate reader database. Only the state legislature can make this conduct a crime.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to addressing that gap, the proposal will strengthen audits of individual user searches, including increasing the frequency and number of audits with annual reports to city oversight committees.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to addressing that gap, the proposal will strengthen audits of individual user searches, including increasing the frequency and number of audits with annual reports to city oversight committees.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The annual reports will include records that flag officers for accessing license plate readers without legitimate law enforcement purpose, suspicious search activity and any other violations of the city’s policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg\" alt=\"A worker in a high visibility vest holds up a black camera.\" class=\"wp-image-12095776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new Automated License Plate Reader that was being installed in East San José on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s important that we show the community that what happened we take seriously, and we want to put as many stipulations in effect as we can not let these things happen again,” Foley said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The memo also recommends strengthening the police department’s and the city’s policies to prohibit officers from accessing any law enforcement database, including Flock camera data, with personally owned devices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Foley emphasized the goal of the memo, which will be released on Friday, is to add more guardrails in place, she said the city does not plan to change or eliminate its contract with Flock Safety, citing public safety. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need this tool to help really solve serious crimes,” Foley said. “We have to do what we can do to protect our community by being able to solve crimes as quickly as possible, and that’s with the use of this technology.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We need this tool to help really solve serious crimes,” Foley said. “We have to do what we can do to protect our community by being able to solve crimes as quickly as possible, and that’s with the use of this technology.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, SJPD said the new standards “will help maintain trust with our community that the data is being used as intended.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They will also ensure that anyone who breaches the community’s trust will face administrative and criminal consequences,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078562\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee and North White roads in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078562\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee and North White roads in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates for civil liberties and immigrant protections, however, said the incident was proof that license-plate reading cameras and other surveillance tools are “not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp> “It is a blatant violation of our community’s trust to learn that a sworn police officer abused our private ALPR data for their personal purposes on their personal phone for their personal contact to stalk and endanger a domestic violence survivor,” said Kimberly Woo, a community organizer from SIREN, a group that has sued San José, along with civil liberties groups, over Flock cameras. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp> “It is a blatant violation of our community’s trust to learn that a sworn police officer abused our private ALPR data for their personal purposes on their personal phone for their personal contact to stalk and endanger a domestic violence survivor,” said Kimberly Woo, a community organizer from SIREN, a group that has sued San José, along with civil liberties groups, over Flock cameras. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mass surveillance goes beyond one company, one vendor, and one ‘bad actor,’” the statement said. “Mass warrantless surveillance from ALPRs makes our people vulnerable to who is in power to turn our data into the wrong hands.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Mass surveillance goes beyond one company, one vendor, and one ‘bad actor,’” the statement said. “Mass warrantless surveillance from ALPRs makes our people vulnerable to who is in power to turn our data into the wrong hands.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">\u003cem>Elize Manoukian\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A new proposal would tighten rules around unauthorized searches, but the cameras aren’t going anywhere, officials said.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>San José officials said they plan to tighten rules for accessing the city’s automatic license plate reader system after a police officer was fired for misusing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/flock-safety\">Flock \u003c/a>database to track a civilian who accused his family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A memo from Vice Mayor Pam Foley and Mayor Matt Mahan would petition the California state Legislature to find a way to add criminal penalties as one of the potential consequences for when an officer misuses license plate reader data, Foley told KQED on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There ought to be more ways that we can hold an officer who misuses the information accountable than just firing him. But there is not that provision or that capability right now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12064595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/image-9-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan helps to install a Flock Safety brand automated license plate reader on April 23, 2024. Civil liberties groups are now suing the city and Mahan over the technology’s uses. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to San José Police Chief Paul Joseph, an off-duty officer used a personal device to perform unauthorized license plate reader searches and locate a victim’s vehicle. He then shared the location with the suspect, who was a relative of the officer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officer was immediately placed on leave and later terminated following a criminal investigation, Joseph said in an email. The case was submitted to the state for a decertification investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When an officer violates the public’s trust this severely, my responsibility is clear: that person cannot remain in a position of police authority, and they cannot wear the San José badge,” the chief said. “This technology is new; the standard is not.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But no criminal charges were filed against the officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said improper access by a police officer is outside the reach of state criminal law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Laws like California’s computer system hacking statute have been interpreted by the US Supreme Court to apply only to persons who are not authorized to access a computer system from doing so,” the DA’s office said. “There is no law that makes it a crime for a police officer to improperly access an agency’s license plate reader database. Only the state legislature can make this conduct a crime.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to addressing that gap, the proposal will strengthen audits of individual user searches, including increasing the frequency and number of audits with annual reports to city oversight committees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The annual reports will include records that flag officers for accessing license plate readers without legitimate law enforcement purpose, suspicious search activity and any other violations of the city’s policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg\" alt=\"A worker in a high visibility vest holds up a black camera.\" class=\"wp-image-12095776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/240423-SanJoseLicensePlateReaders-JG-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new Automated License Plate Reader that was being installed in East San José on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s important that we show the community that what happened we take seriously, and we want to put as many stipulations in effect as we can not let these things happen again,” Foley said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The memo also recommends strengthening the police department’s and the city’s policies to prohibit officers from accessing any law enforcement database, including Flock camera data, with personally owned devices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Foley emphasized the goal of the memo, which will be released on Friday, is to add more guardrails in place, she said the city does not plan to change or eliminate its contract with Flock Safety, citing public safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need this tool to help really solve serious crimes,” Foley said. “We have to do what we can do to protect our community by being able to solve crimes as quickly as possible, and that’s with the use of this technology.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, SJPD said the new standards “will help maintain trust with our community that the data is being used as intended.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They will also ensure that anyone who breaches the community’s trust will face administrative and criminal consequences,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078562\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-05-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee and North White roads in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates for civil liberties and immigrant protections, however, said the incident was proof that license-plate reading cameras and other surveillance tools are “not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> “It is a blatant violation of our community’s trust to learn that a sworn police officer abused our private ALPR data for their personal purposes on their personal phone for their personal contact to stalk and endanger a domestic violence survivor,” said Kimberly Woo, a community organizer from SIREN, a group that has sued San José, along with civil liberties groups, over Flock cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mass surveillance goes beyond one company, one vendor, and one ‘bad actor,’” the statement said. “Mass warrantless surveillance from ALPRs makes our people vulnerable to who is in power to turn our data into the wrong hands.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">\u003cem>Elize Manoukian\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "melkam-enkutatash-san-jose-welcomes-the-ethiopian-new-year",
"title": "‘Melkam Enkutatash!’ San José Welcomes the Ethiopian New Year",
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"headTitle": "‘Melkam Enkutatash!’ San José Welcomes the Ethiopian New Year | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Dressed from head to toe in resplendent yellow, Semert Haile passed out flowers as she walked through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a>’s Arena Green East Park. “Melkam Enkutatash!” she greeted everyone. “Happy Ethiopian New Year!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And not even the roaring of airplanes taking off from San José Mineta International Airport nearby was enough to drown out the sound of music and children’s laughter at this Ethiopian New Year celebration. This Enkutatash event was first held in the South Bay in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Organized by the nonprofit Ethiopian Community Services, Sunday’s celebration drew thousands — both Ethiopian residents and supporters — in a testament to the growing strength of the Ethiopian diaspora in the Bay Area’s biggest city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play together at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099605\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099605\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An attendee wears a yellow flower, also known as adey ababa, which blooms during the New Year, on their sleeve at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099602\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099602\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play soccer at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just like the Western Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian Ge’ez calendar is \u003ca href=\"https://ethiopianembassy.org/ethiopian-time/\">based on the year\u003c/a> of Jesus Christ’s birth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the Gregorian and Ge’ez calendars differ on Christ’s exact birth year, however, this Enkutatash marks the beginning of the year 2019.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are seven years behind in Ethiopia,” Haile joked.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Shout out to our community’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Haile was not the only one dressed in yellow on Sunday. Hundreds of families from all over the South Bay showed up wearing shirts, headbands and traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/erichick/habesha-dresses/\">habesha dresses\u003c/a> embellished with intricate gold patterns. Many designs feature a yellow flower, similar to those that Haile gave away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While it may resemble a sunflower, this is adey abeba — a flower native to Ethiopia that blooms at the end of the rainy summer season, marking both the start of September and the new year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Back in Ethiopia, the children go door to door giving these flowers as a gift,” Haile reminisced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099603\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Semert Haile poses for a portrait at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099607\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099607\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A child waves an adey ababa flower during a singing performance at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099606\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099606\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children celebrate Ethiopian New Year on a stage at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been more than 20 years since she left her home in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Coming to California was a great opportunity, she said — but also somewhat of an isolating experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When it’s the New Year, everybody’s together each day. Everyone eats together. The house is warm,” she said. “Here, you have to be invited by other people [to celebrate the New Year].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why Haile and other leaders of the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://ecssanjose.org/\">Ethiopian Community Services\u003c/a> started a public Enkutatash celebration in San José decades ago. It’s an opportunity for Ethiopians who have recently arrived to meet new people and not experience the same isolation she once felt, Haile said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When they come to the U.S., they maybe get lost. They miss all their support groups,” she said. “You don’t know what others are going through while they’re trying to adjust to Western culture.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Haile quickly gathered hundreds of children to the stage to sing “Abebayehosh,” a traditional song celebrating the new year in Amharic — one of the many languages spoken in Ethiopia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The kids who were not on stage were playing soccer nearby in the park. Many are part of Maleda Youth Soccer Club, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091408/maleda-where-san-joses-brightest-soccer-stars-get-started\">created in 2004\u003c/a> by Ethiopian families in the South Bay who wanted a safe place for their kids to both play and learn more about their heritage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Among the club’s alumni is professional soccer player Naomi Girma — currently center back for England’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC and a strong contender for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Girma grew up in San José and credits Maleda for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988410/naomi-girma-us-womens-soccer-star-returns-san-jose\">helping kick-start\u003c/a> her passion for soccer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community works hard to make sure younger generations know their heritage, Hawi Desda said. Growing up in East Palo Alto, she would travel across the Bay Area to different religious and athletic events led by other Ethiopian families. Now, Desda lives in San José and was attending the Enkutatash celebration with friends she met at church. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s so many events for folks growing up within the diaspora that don’t have access to what’s happening back in Ethiopia,” she said. “Shout out to our community for creating such spaces for young people to be in community with each other.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Like home away from home’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 40 years, the Bay Area has been home to this thriving Ethiopian community that reflects the country’s immense cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many families who first moved to the region in the ’80s and ’90s were fleeing Ethiopia’s civil war and found economic opportunities in Silicon Valley, building the electronic components for personal computers during the first dot-com boom. Other families brought with them cherished family recipes and opened restaurants, helping to make the Bay Area one of the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905230/zeni-ethiopian-restaurant-san-jose\">top hubs for Ethiopian cuisine\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even folks visiting from far away were impressed by Sunday’s celebrations. “It’s like home away from home,” said Samry Derje, who was visiting San José from northern Virginia, part of the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area — another \u003ca href=\"https://wamu.org/story/16/04/21/how_did_the_dc_region_become_home_to_the_largest_population_of_ethiopians_in_the_us/\">major Ethiopian enclave\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099604\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099604\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Genet Hailegiogirgis and her daughter pose for a portrait wearing matching outfits at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099601\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alex Feke (left) and his daughters pose for a portrait with the Ethiopian flag at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to city officials, there are more than 25,000 people of Ethiopian origin living in San José. Across Santa Clara County, that number is estimated to rise to over 30,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What I love about the community is how tight-knit it is,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who also spoke at the celebration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Many of us in America live much more isolated lives, and the sense of community and the way that people care for each other is really beautiful,” he added. “There’s a lot to learn here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the sun started to set over the celebrations, Arena Green East and the Guadalupe River flowing nearby shone with a yellow that rivaled the adey abeba flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as families said their goodbyes and began to leave for home, Haile made sure to remind them: “See you next year!”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just like the Western Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian Ge’ez calendar is \u003ca href=\"https://ethiopianembassy.org/ethiopian-time/\">based on the year\u003c/a> of Jesus Christ’s birth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because the Gregorian and Ge’ez calendars differ on Christ’s exact birth year, however, this Enkutatash marks the beginning of the year 2019.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are seven years behind in Ethiopia,” Haile joked.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Haile was not the only one dressed in yellow on Sunday. Hundreds of families from all over the South Bay showed up wearing shirts, headbands and traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/erichick/habesha-dresses/\">habesha dresses\u003c/a> embellished with intricate gold patterns. Many designs feature a yellow flower, similar to those that Haile gave away.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While it may resemble a sunflower, this is adey abeba — a flower native to Ethiopia that blooms at the end of the rainy summer season, marking both the start of September and the new year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Back in Ethiopia, the children go door to door giving these flowers as a gift,” Haile reminisced. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s been more than 20 years since she left her home in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Coming to California was a great opportunity, she said — but also somewhat of an isolating experience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When it’s the New Year, everybody’s together each day. Everyone eats together. The house is warm,” she said. “Here, you have to be invited by other people [to celebrate the New Year].”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s why Haile and other leaders of the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://ecssanjose.org/\">Ethiopian Community Services\u003c/a> started a public Enkutatash celebration in San José decades ago. It’s an opportunity for Ethiopians who have recently arrived to meet new people and not experience the same isolation she once felt, Haile said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When they come to the U.S., they maybe get lost. They miss all their support groups,” she said. “You don’t know what others are going through while they’re trying to adjust to Western culture.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Haile quickly gathered hundreds of children to the stage to sing “Abebayehosh,” a traditional song celebrating the new year in Amharic — one of the many languages spoken in Ethiopia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The kids who were not on stage were playing soccer nearby in the park. Many are part of Maleda Youth Soccer Club, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091408/maleda-where-san-joses-brightest-soccer-stars-get-started\">created in 2004\u003c/a> by Ethiopian families in the South Bay who wanted a safe place for their kids to both play and learn more about their heritage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The kids who were not on stage were playing soccer nearby in the park. Many are part of Maleda Youth Soccer Club, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091408/maleda-where-san-joses-brightest-soccer-stars-get-started\">created in 2004\u003c/a> by Ethiopian families in the South Bay who wanted a safe place for their kids to both play and learn more about their heritage. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Among the club’s alumni is professional soccer player Naomi Girma — currently center back for England’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC and a strong contender for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Girma grew up in San José and credits Maleda for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988410/naomi-girma-us-womens-soccer-star-returns-san-jose\">helping kick-start\u003c/a> her passion for soccer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Among the club’s alumni is professional soccer player Naomi Girma — currently center back for England’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC and a strong contender for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Girma grew up in San José and credits Maleda for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988410/naomi-girma-us-womens-soccer-star-returns-san-jose\">helping kick-start\u003c/a> her passion for soccer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community works hard to make sure younger generations know their heritage, Hawi Desda said. Growing up in East Palo Alto, she would travel across the Bay Area to different religious and athletic events led by other Ethiopian families. Now, Desda lives in San José and was attending the Enkutatash celebration with friends she met at church. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The community works hard to make sure younger generations know their heritage, Hawi Desda said. Growing up in East Palo Alto, she would travel across the Bay Area to different religious and athletic events led by other Ethiopian families. Now, Desda lives in San José and was attending the Enkutatash celebration with friends she met at church. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s so many events for folks growing up within the diaspora that don’t have access to what’s happening back in Ethiopia,” she said. “Shout out to our community for creating such spaces for young people to be in community with each other.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than 40 years, the Bay Area has been home to this thriving Ethiopian community that reflects the country’s immense cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many families who first moved to the region in the ’80s and ’90s were fleeing Ethiopia’s civil war and found economic opportunities in Silicon Valley, building the electronic components for personal computers during the first dot-com boom. Other families brought with them cherished family recipes and opened restaurants, helping to make the Bay Area one of the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905230/zeni-ethiopian-restaurant-san-jose\">top hubs for Ethiopian cuisine\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even folks visiting from far away were impressed by Sunday’s celebrations. “It’s like home away from home,” said Samry Derje, who was visiting San José from northern Virginia, part of the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area — another \u003ca href=\"https://wamu.org/story/16/04/21/how_did_the_dc_region_become_home_to_the_largest_population_of_ethiopians_in_the_us/\">major Ethiopian enclave\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What I love about the community is how tight-knit it is,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who also spoke at the celebration. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the sun started to set over the celebrations, Arena Green East and the Guadalupe River flowing nearby shone with a yellow that rivaled the adey abeba flower.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And as families said their goodbyes and began to leave for home, Haile made sure to remind them: “See you next year!”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Thousands showed up to the South Bay’s celebration this weekend, with plenty of music, soccer and adey abeba — the flower traditionally used to mark the occasion.\n",
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"title": "‘Melkam Enkutatash!’ San José Welcomes the Ethiopian New Year | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Dressed from head to toe in resplendent yellow, Semert Haile passed out flowers as she walked through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a>’s Arena Green East Park. “Melkam Enkutatash!” she greeted everyone. “Happy Ethiopian New Year!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And not even the roaring of airplanes taking off from San José Mineta International Airport nearby was enough to drown out the sound of music and children’s laughter at this Ethiopian New Year celebration. This Enkutatash event was first held in the South Bay in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Organized by the nonprofit Ethiopian Community Services, Sunday’s celebration drew thousands — both Ethiopian residents and supporters — in a testament to the growing strength of the Ethiopian diaspora in the Bay Area’s biggest city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-01017_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play together at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099605\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099605\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00295_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An attendee wears a yellow flower, also known as adey ababa, which blooms during the New Year, on their sleeve at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099602\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099602\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00069_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play soccer at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just like the Western Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian Ge’ez calendar is \u003ca href=\"https://ethiopianembassy.org/ethiopian-time/\">based on the year\u003c/a> of Jesus Christ’s birth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the Gregorian and Ge’ez calendars differ on Christ’s exact birth year, however, this Enkutatash marks the beginning of the year 2019.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are seven years behind in Ethiopia,” Haile joked.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Shout out to our community’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Haile was not the only one dressed in yellow on Sunday. Hundreds of families from all over the South Bay showed up wearing shirts, headbands and traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/erichick/habesha-dresses/\">habesha dresses\u003c/a> embellished with intricate gold patterns. Many designs feature a yellow flower, similar to those that Haile gave away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While it may resemble a sunflower, this is adey abeba — a flower native to Ethiopia that blooms at the end of the rainy summer season, marking both the start of September and the new year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Back in Ethiopia, the children go door to door giving these flowers as a gift,” Haile reminisced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099603\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00113_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Semert Haile poses for a portrait at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099607\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099607\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00638_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A child waves an adey ababa flower during a singing performance at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099606\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099606\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00516_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children celebrate Ethiopian New Year on a stage at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been more than 20 years since she left her home in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Coming to California was a great opportunity, she said — but also somewhat of an isolating experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When it’s the New Year, everybody’s together each day. Everyone eats together. The house is warm,” she said. “Here, you have to be invited by other people [to celebrate the New Year].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why Haile and other leaders of the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://ecssanjose.org/\">Ethiopian Community Services\u003c/a> started a public Enkutatash celebration in San José decades ago. It’s an opportunity for Ethiopians who have recently arrived to meet new people and not experience the same isolation she once felt, Haile said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When they come to the U.S., they maybe get lost. They miss all their support groups,” she said. “You don’t know what others are going through while they’re trying to adjust to Western culture.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Haile quickly gathered hundreds of children to the stage to sing “Abebayehosh,” a traditional song celebrating the new year in Amharic — one of the many languages spoken in Ethiopia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The kids who were not on stage were playing soccer nearby in the park. Many are part of Maleda Youth Soccer Club, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091408/maleda-where-san-joses-brightest-soccer-stars-get-started\">created in 2004\u003c/a> by Ethiopian families in the South Bay who wanted a safe place for their kids to both play and learn more about their heritage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Among the club’s alumni is professional soccer player Naomi Girma — currently center back for England’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC and a strong contender for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Girma grew up in San José and credits Maleda for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988410/naomi-girma-us-womens-soccer-star-returns-san-jose\">helping kick-start\u003c/a> her passion for soccer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community works hard to make sure younger generations know their heritage, Hawi Desda said. Growing up in East Palo Alto, she would travel across the Bay Area to different religious and athletic events led by other Ethiopian families. Now, Desda lives in San José and was attending the Enkutatash celebration with friends she met at church. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s so many events for folks growing up within the diaspora that don’t have access to what’s happening back in Ethiopia,” she said. “Shout out to our community for creating such spaces for young people to be in community with each other.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Like home away from home’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 40 years, the Bay Area has been home to this thriving Ethiopian community that reflects the country’s immense cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many families who first moved to the region in the ’80s and ’90s were fleeing Ethiopia’s civil war and found economic opportunities in Silicon Valley, building the electronic components for personal computers during the first dot-com boom. Other families brought with them cherished family recipes and opened restaurants, helping to make the Bay Area one of the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905230/zeni-ethiopian-restaurant-san-jose\">top hubs for Ethiopian cuisine\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even folks visiting from far away were impressed by Sunday’s celebrations. “It’s like home away from home,” said Samry Derje, who was visiting San José from northern Virginia, part of the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area — another \u003ca href=\"https://wamu.org/story/16/04/21/how_did_the_dc_region_become_home_to_the_largest_population_of_ethiopians_in_the_us/\">major Ethiopian enclave\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099604\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099604\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00258_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Genet Hailegiogirgis and her daughter pose for a portrait wearing matching outfits at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099601\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-ethiopiannewyear-00006_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alex Feke (left) and his daughters pose for a portrait with the Ethiopian flag at an Ethiopian New Year celebration at Guadalupe River Park in San José on Sept. 13, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to city officials, there are more than 25,000 people of Ethiopian origin living in San José. Across Santa Clara County, that number is estimated to rise to over 30,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What I love about the community is how tight-knit it is,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who also spoke at the celebration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Many of us in America live much more isolated lives, and the sense of community and the way that people care for each other is really beautiful,” he added. “There’s a lot to learn here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the sun started to set over the celebrations, Arena Green East and the Guadalupe River flowing nearby shone with a yellow that rivaled the adey abeba flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as families said their goodbyes and began to leave for home, Haile made sure to remind them: “See you next year!”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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