To conclude a 2+ year process initiated by the SD Trust Coalition, the City of San Diego adopted (first reading) a surveillance transparency ordinance, but not before amending it to exclude from oversight the activities of the 19 different law enforcement task forces that the San Diego Police Department participates in.
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San Diego’s police chief pressed for the amendment and claimed the SDPD would have “no choice” but to withdraw from multiple task forces due to non-disclosure agreements that he said prohibit providing any information about what the task forces are doing to an oversight body.
The amendment passed the Council narrowly, on a 5-4 vote, but attempts to get the amendment withdrawn before adoption failed. So amended, the transparency ordinance passed in a unanimous vote.
The San Diego Police Department is a heavy participant in multi-agency task forces, including some that likely focus on border security issues, so their exclusion from oversight is a big deal. The ordinance will govern unilateral use of equipment by the San Diego Police Department when it goes into effect.