San Mateo County
County record. Includes every city and agency within San Mateo 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.
- Fusion & investigative platforms
- Third-party platforms that fuse data across sources, sometimes including other surveillance feeds, for law-enforcement search and analysis, sold or licensed to multiple agencies rather than built by any one of them: examples include Palantir, Peregrine Systems, C3.ai, and SoundThinking's CrimeTracer (formerly Coplink X). Adjacent: an analytics layer that sits above the surveillance feeds this site otherwise tracks, rather than a sensing deployment of its own.
The record, by agency
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office
109 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 109 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office as of March 30, 2026, covering unincorporated San Mateo County and the contract-policing jurisdictions of Portola Valley, San Carlos and Millbrae. Half Moon Bay and Woodside hold separate Flock contracts that the Sheriff also operates, and their cameras are counted against those towns rather than here. The Sheriff shared its data with 300 networks on April 13, 2026, having reduced its sharing in February to adjacent counties. The grand jury found the Sheriff's ALPR policy states no retention period at all.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has run about 2,000 searches with Clearview AI face recognition technology, according to records obtained by Buzzfeed.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Buzzfeed News
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office employs ShopSpotter gunshot detection technology.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): ShotSpotter.comSuperior Court of California
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Mateo County Sheriff's Office
San Mateo Police Department
66 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 66 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the San Mateo Police Department as of March 30, 2026, the largest municipal ALPR estate in the county. San Mateo shared its data with 280 networks on April 13, 2026, and with no private university security agency. The grand jury rated the department's audits weak and unpublished, while finding its ALPR policy conspicuously posted, current, and consistent with the retention period Flock reports.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
The San Mateo Police Department currently has four drones and received a grant to purchase three more from Axon in 2023.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Mateo Daily Journal
In February 2018, the San Mateo Police Department announced that all officers would be equipped with Axon body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): NIXLECity of San MateoCity of San Mateo
Atherton Police Department
53 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 53 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Atherton Police Department as of March 30, 2026, the earliest ALPR deployment in San Mateo County, dating to 2020. Atherton shared its data with 317 networks on April 13, 2026, including two private university security agencies. The grand jury found the department's ALPR policy current but not conspicuously posted and carried in multiple versions, its audits strong and published in council minutes, and the retention period stated in the policy inconsistent with the period Flock's transparency portal reports.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
The Atherton Police Department uses body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Atherton Police DepartmentCity of Atherton
The Atheron Police Department has been using Clearview AI face recognition technology as recently as February 2022.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Atherton
Pacifica Police Department
10 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 10 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Pacifica Police Department as of March 30, 2026, alongside 4 Axon mobile ALPR cameras that the grand jury did not investigate. The Pacifica City Council had approved 10 fixed ALPRs and 13 vehicle-mounted ALPRs in 2024. Pacifica shared its Flock data with 283 networks on April 13, 2026. The grand jury found the department's ALPR policy conspicuously posted and current and its audit brief but strong, though unpublished, and did not receive its Flock contract.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): Pacifica Police DepartmentCoastside News2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
The Pacifica Police Department began using body-worn cameras in 2017.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of PacificaPacifica Police Department Facebook
San Bruno Police Department
70 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 54 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the San Bruno Police Department as of March 30, 2026. San Bruno shared its data with 335 networks on April 13, 2026, among the widest sharing in the county. The department did not produce records showing that the audits required by its own ALPR policy had been conducted.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): San Bruno Police DepartmentSan Mateo Daily Journal2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
The San Bruno Police Department uses Axon body-worn cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): San Bruno Police Facebook pageCity of San Bruno
Brisbane Police Department
16 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 16 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Brisbane Police Department as of March 30, 2026. Brisbane shared its data with 92 networks on April 13, 2026, under an apparent guideline of a 50-mile radius. The grand jury found the department's ALPR policy current but not conspicuously posted, and received no audit reports in response to its document request.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): Brisbane Police Department Instagram PageBrisbane Polcie DepartmentBrisbane Police2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
Burlingame Police Department
18 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 18 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Burlingame Police Department as of March 30, 2026. Burlingame shared its data with 357 networks on April 13, 2026, the highest figure in the grand jury's table. The department produced neither audit reports nor its Flock contract in response to the grand jury's document request, and the grand jury found its ALPR policy current but not conspicuously posted.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): Burlingame Police DepartmentBurlingame Police DepartmentThe Daily Journal2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
Colma Police Department
11 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 11 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Colma Police Department as of March 30, 2026. Colma holds the only one of the fourteen Flock contracts the grand jury reviewed that carries an addendum requiring Flock to comply with California law on ALPR data, and the report asks other San Mateo County operators to consider similar provisions on renewal. The grand jury found the retention period stated in Colma's policy inconsistent with the period Flock's transparency portal reports.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The News & ObserverKRON2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
Daly City Police Department
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 44 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Daly City Police Department as of March 30, 2026. Daly City is the one San Mateo County operator with no Flock transparency portal enabled, so the grand jury could not read its network sharing from the public portal. It found the department's audits strong and regular but unpublished, its published ALPR policy conspicuous but outdated in still describing sharing as mediated by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, and its stated retention period inconsistent with the period Flock reports.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): Daly City Police DepartmentCalifornia State AuditorDaly City Police Department2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
Menlo Park Police Department
35 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 32 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the Menlo Park Police Department as of March 30, 2026. Menlo Park is the one San Mateo County operator the grand jury names as having acknowledged prior instances of sharing ALPR data across state lines. It shared its data with 242 networks on April 13, 2026. The grand jury rated the department's audits weak, and found its ALPR policy current but not conspicuously posted.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): Menlo Park Police DepartmentMenlo Park Police DepartmentAlmanac News2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office (Millbrae)
The Millbrae City Council approved a five-year contract with Flock Safety for 23 automated license plate readers in November 2021. Millbrae has no police department of its own: the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office provides contract law enforcement, and the 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counts Millbrae's cameras inside the Sheriff's own total of 109 as of March 30, 2026 rather than under a separate Millbrae contract. The grand jury asked the Millbrae City Council to respond to six findings covering sharing with private university security agencies, audit sufficiency, contract terms and retention.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The Daily Journal2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
South San Francisco Police Department
37 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 37 Flock Safety automated license plate readers operated by the South San Francisco Police Department as of March 30, 2026. South San Francisco shared its data with 15 networks under a stated guideline of San Mateo County, the second narrowest sharing in the grand jury's table after Woodside. The grand jury found the department's ALPR policy conspicuously posted and current, and its audit partial and unpublished.
Sources (EFF Atlas, with an UnGovr correction): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
East Palo Alto Police Department
25 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The East Palo Alto Police Department operates 25 Flock Safety automated license plate readers and other cameras as of June 2025. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
The East Palo Alto Police Department started using ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology in 2007.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Business WireCity of East Palo AltoCity of East Palo Alto
Belmont Police Department
10 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
The Belmont Police Department installed ten Flock Safety automated license plate readers in March 2025.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Belmont Police Department
The Belmont Police Department maintains a voluntary registry of private and personal surveillance cameras.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): City of Belmont
Redwood City Police Department
25 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
As of April 2024, the Redwood City Police Department operates 25 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The News & ObserverRWC Pulse
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded $150,146 to the Redwood City Police Department in 2018 as part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's body-worn camera grant program.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): U.S Department of Justicewww.ravenreport.orgwww.smdailyjournal.com
The Redwood City Police Department has used ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology since 1996.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): Redwood City Police DepartmentWired
Foster City Police Department
28 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
As of April 2024, the Foster City Police Department operates 20 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer
Hillsborough Police Department
22 cameras measured on the agency's Flock Safety transparency portal, via UnGovr, as of July 2026.
As of April 2024, the Hillsborough Police Department operates 22 Flock Safety automated license plate readers. The agency stores ALPR data for 30 days.
Sources (via the EFF Atlas): The News & ObserverThe News & Observer
San Mateo County Sheriff
ALPR in use by San Mateo County Sheriff, on the public record through two independent sources: news reporting that names the agency as operating the technology, and requests received on the agency's own public records request log that reference it.
Records request and press reporting, via UnGovr: News coverageUnited States records-law analysis
City of Half Moon Bay
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 14 Flock Safety automated license plate readers in Half Moon Bay as of March 30, 2026. The city holds its own Flock contract, separate from the county's, and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office operates the cameras under a contract for law enforcement services. Flock's transparency portal reported the city sharing its data with 290 networks on April 13, 2026, and none with private university security. The grand jury asked the Half Moon Bay Town Council to respond to six findings.
Sources (via county civil grand jury reports): 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury, “Is Our Flock of ALPR Cameras Properly Tended?”San Mateo County grand jury reports on civilgrandjury.org
Town of Woodside
The 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury counted 26 Flock Safety automated license plate readers in Woodside as of March 30, 2026. The town holds its own Flock contract, separate from the county's, and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office operates the cameras under a contract for law enforcement services. Woodside shares its data with 3 networks, the narrowest sharing of any operator the grand jury measured in the county, against a stated guideline of adjacent towns, and with no private university security agency. The grand jury rated its audit practices strong and its published policy current.
Sources (via county civil grand jury reports): 2025-2026 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury, “Is Our Flock of ALPR Cameras Properly Tended?”San Mateo County grand jury reports on civilgrandjury.org
Broadmoor Police Protection District
Confirmed none, as of March 2026: a cited source examined this agency for ALPR and found none. That is a stronger statement than nothing on record, since someone checked.
Sources: UnGovr records requests · UnGovr press monitoring · Flock Safety transparency portals · EFF Atlas of Surveillance · County civil grand jury reports