Mayor Todd Gloria Wednesday signed into law the use of Smart Streetlights and automated license plate recognition technology and the city's Safe Sidewalk program, measures that were recently approved by the San Diego City Council.
On Nov. 14, the City Council approved the public safety technologies, and with the mayor's signature on Wednesday, the San Diego Police Department will enter into a five-year agreement with Ubicquia Inc. for 500 Smart Streetlight cameras, paired with Flock Safety's ALPR technology.
"The number one job of city government is to ensure residents are safe in their communities," Gloria said. "My administration takes that responsibility very seriously, which is why we requested the City Council's approval for both the Smart Streetlights and Safe Sidewalks programs.
"I'm pleased to sign these improvements into law, because I'm confident that they will make our communities safer," he said. "I thank the City Council for their partnership and support of these efforts."
According to the city, the combination of both the license plate recognition and Smart Streetlights -- streetlights with cameras -- provide SDPD with both video and data-collection capabilities at a lower cost than if the two were purchased and maintained separately.
The initial cost for the devices in Fiscal Year 2024 is around $3.5 million and will include a one-time $1.5 million installation and maintenance cost and $2 million for hardware, software and connectivity. The program will then cost around $2 million annually. Mayor Gloria earmarked $4 million in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget for the Smart Streetlight project.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)