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.
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The amendment passed the Council narrowly, on a 5-4 vote, but attempts to get the amendment withdrawn before adoption failed.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.