San Diego County
County record. Includes every city and agency within San Diego County.
Technology presence
What these categories mean
- ALPR
- Automated license plate readers (ALPR): camera systems that automatically capture, read, and log vehicle license plates with location and time, producing a searchable record of vehicle movements.
- Fixed cameras & RTCC
- Agency-operated fixed video cameras and the real-time crime centers (RTCC) that aggregate live and recorded feeds for monitoring. Extends the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas, which enumerates real-time crime centers and camera registries but not standalone fixed-camera estates.
- Face recognition
- Software that matches faces in images or video against a reference database to identify or verify individuals.
- Drones / UAS
- Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), commonly called drones, operated by an agency for overhead observation, imaging, or sensing.
- Gunshot detection
- Networks of acoustic sensors that detect and locate suspected gunfire and alert an agency.
- Body-worn & dashcam
- Officer body-worn and in-vehicle dashboard cameras that record encounters; public access to the footage is frequently restricted.
- Doorbell & camera registry
- Programs that give an agency access to privately owned camera footage: doorbell-camera partnerships, citizen camera registries, and private-camera integration platforms.
- Cell-site simulators
- Devices that mimic cell towers to locate or identify nearby mobile phones. They are often called Stingrays, or IMSI catchers after the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number that identifies each phone on a network. Adjacent: communications surveillance outside the visual/sensor core.
- Predictive policing
- Software that forecasts where crime may occur or who may be involved, to direct policing. Adjacent: analytics rather than a sensing deployment.
- Social-media monitoring
- Tools that collect and analyze public social-media activity for an agency. Adjacent: open-source/communications monitoring outside the visual/sensor core.
The record, by agency
San Diego County Sheriff's Department
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department operates automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentSan Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentSan Diego County Sheriff
The San Diego Sheriff's Department owned 1,348 Axon body-worn cameras as of December 2018. The agency received approval for a $1.1 million budget request to purchase the equipment in April 2019.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Aaron Swartz Day Surveillance ProjectSan Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentSan Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department operated 54 drones as of 2023
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentSan Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard College
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department has had a camera registry since at least 2019.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The San Diego Union-TribuneSan Diego County SheriffSafePoway
San Diego Police Department
The San Diego Police installed Ubicquia surveillance-equipped streetlights and Flock Safety automated license plate readers in July 2024. As of April 2024, the San Diego Police Department operates 528 Flock Safety ALPRs and stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
The San Diego Police Department uses Axon body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Police Department
The San Diego Police Department acquired cell-site simulator technology in 2010, according data compiled by Kevin Collier for Vocativ.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): VocativKevin CollierSan Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Police Department operated 29 drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Police DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.faa.gov
San Diego State University Police Department
The San Diego State University Police Department uses automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego State University Police Department
The San Diego State University Police Department uses body-worn cameras. The agency uses the same policy as the rest of the California State University police departments.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego State University Police Department
San Diego Community College District Police
The San Diego Community College District, including Saddleback Community College, uses body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Community College District PoliceSan Diego Community College District PoliceSan Diego Community College District College Police Department
San Diego Harbor Police Department
The San Diego Harbor Police Department operated 21 drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Harbor Police DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.faa.gov
University of California San Diego Police Department
The University of California San Diego Police Department installed ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology on campus in 2017. The initial installation cost $46,000, with a recurring annual fee of $71,000.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): NBC San Diego
University of California San Diego Transportation Services
The University of California San Diego has used automated license plate readers since at least 2019 for parking enforcement.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ParkNews
University of California, San Diego Police Department
University of California, San Diego Police Department has equipped its officers with WatchGuard body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): University of California, San Diego Police Department Video Image Request FormUniversity of California, San Diego PoliceUniversity of California, San Diego Police
Carlsbad Police Department
The Carlsbad Police Department collected more than 71,000,000 vehicle scans in 2022 using automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Carlsbad Police DepartmentMuckRockCalifornia State Auditor
The Carlsbad Police Department launched its body-worn camera program in 2016.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Carlsbad California Websitewww.sandiegouniontribune.com
The Carlsbad Police Department operates one drone, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.faa.gov
Chula Vista Police Department
The Chula Vista Police Department has been using automated license plate readers since 2007.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Chula Vista Police DepartmentChula Vista Police DepartmentFlock Safety
The Chula Vista Police Department operates a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Chula Vista Police DepartmentChula Vista Police DepartmentChula VIsta Police Department
Chula Vista was building a real-time crime center as of September 2021.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Voice of San Diego
El Cajon Police Department
As of April 2024, the El Cajon Police Department operates 40 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverEast County Magazine
The El Cajon Police Department launched its body-worn camera program in 2016 with the purchase of 87 Axon cameras for about $160,000.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Union Tribune
The El Cajon Police Department operated drones as of 2024.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): El Cajon Police DepartmentEl Cajon Police DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard College
Escondido Police Department
The Escondido Police Department collected more than 3,000,000 vehicle scans in 2022 using automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Escondido Police DepartmentCalifornia State Auditor
The Escondido Police Department has body-worn cameras since 2010. In June 2019, the Escondido City Council approved a 3-year, $405,000 contract with Axon for 166 cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Escondido City Council Minuteswww.documentcloud.orgU.S Department of Justice
The Escondido Police Department operated DJI drones as of 2024.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Escondido Police DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegewww.thecoastnews.com
National City Police Department
The National City Police Department received funding from California's Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program in 2023 for Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): California Board of State and Community CorrectionsCalifornia Board of State and Community Corrections
All uniformed National City Police officers were outfitted with body-worn cameras in 2016.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): NBC San DiegoNational City Police Department Policies and Training - Body Worn Camera Training
The National City Police Department operated four drones as of 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): National City Police DepartmentCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard Collegefox5sandiego.com
Oceanside Police Department
The Oceanside Police Department began using automated license plate readers in May of 2015.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Times of San Diego
The Oceanside City Council spent $1,890,000 on a 5-year contract in 2020 with Axon for 225 body-worn cameras for 228 sworn officers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Union TribuneOceanside Police Department Facebook
The Oceanside Police Department operated 15 drones as of 2024.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Oceanside Police DepartmentCity of OceansideCenter for the Study of the Drone at Bard College
Coronado Police Department
As of April 2024, the Coronado Police Department operates two Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 365 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Flock SafetyThe News & ObserverThe News & Observer
In 2012, the Coronado Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in San Diego County to adopt body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Diego Union Tribune
La Mesa Police Department
The La Mesa Police Department operates Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions (formerly Vigilant Solutions) automated license plate readers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): La Mesa Police DepartmentSan Diego Union-TribuneLa Mesa Police Department
The La Mesa Police Department began testing body-worn cameras in 2018. As of September 2019, images posted on Facebook show that officers are indeed wearing BWCs.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Facebookwww.baltimoresun.com
California State University San Marcos Police Department
California State University San Marcos Police Department issues Axon body-worn cameras to all uniformed officers.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): California State University Police Department
La Jolla Tribal Police Department
MiraCosta College Police Department
The MiraCosta College Police Department uses Axon body-worn cameras
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): MiraCosta Police Department Facebook pageMiraCosta College Police
Palomar College Police Department
The Palomar College Police Department began using automated license plate readers on two patrol cars in 2019.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Palomar College
Southwestern Community College Police Department
Southwestern Community College Police Department uses body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Southwestern CC Police Department policy handbook
Source: EFF Atlas of Surveillance (Electronic Frontier Foundation & University of Nevada, Reno — Reynolds School of Journalism) · CC BY 4.0 · retrieved July 2026
In the press
Coverage naming San Diego County or a jurisdiction within it.