San Diego Police Push to Install Smart Streetlights Before Pride Festival to Deter Hate Crime

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl announced Monday that his department will begin installing smart streetlights paired with automated license plate recognition technology in Hillcrest and other locations to thwart hate crimes during the upcoming Pride festival.

Installation will start as soon as this week after getting approval from the Privacy Advisory Board and City Council. The city cited the “exigent circumstances” section of the TRUST Ordinance — Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology.

The specific circumstances include a recent string of attacks in Hillcrest where suspects shot pellets at four well known LGBTQ+ establishments. In addition, the city saw an increase of 73% in reported hate crimes in 2023 with 32% concerning hate crimes toward sexual orientation.

“With the rise in hate crimes and our upcoming annual Pride parade and festival, we want to leverage this technology to protect our LGBTQ community. I’m proud to have several community leaders working with us to combat hate and hold criminals accountable,” Wahl said.

The new streetlights will be installed in 14 locations along West Washington Street and University Avenue.

According to police, this technology has allowed them to investigate approximately 129 crimes against persons and property in other locations.