San Francisco residents have shown strong support for expanded police use of surveillance technology, including cameras and drones, according to a poll released by the advocacy group GrowSF. The survey suggests a notable shift in sentiment in the famously liberal city, which previously banned facial recognition technology.
Seventy-two percent of respondents said they support the use of cameras and drones to assist in active investigations following a 911 call. A significant majority, 66%, also backed real-time video monitoring of areas with high crime rates, such as the Tenderloin drug markets, to deter crime and enhance accountability. Currently, police are permitted to monitor live footage only under limited circumstances.
Residents also expressed broad support for using surveillance technology for other public safety concerns. Sixty-seven percent favored its use in preventing illegal dumping, and 69% supported monitoring areas with high drug use to help prevent overdoses.
The poll also indicated public backing for other law enforcement tools. Sixty-six percent of San Franciscans support equipping police with tasers, and 75% favor police efforts to disperse drug markets.
This sentiment appears to represent a departure from previous policies. San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban facial recognition technology in 2019. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, former Mayor London Breed pursued initiatives to redirect funds from the police department to community programs. Despite a recent spike in murders, crime rates in San Francisco have reportedly decreased in categories such as auto thefts and property crime, with police attributing some of this success to surveillance technologies like Flock Safety cameras.
However, the expansion of surveillance technology has raised concerns among civil liberties advocates. Across the nation, some cities have pushed back against the increasing use of technologies like Flock, with some canceling or declining to renew contracts due to privacy and surveillance worries. According to the anti-surveillance group DeFlock, approximately 98 cities have rejected automated license plate readers, and an estimated 124,800 such cameras have been mapped nationwide.