As a city council member, I have spent years making public safety decisions and working with law enforcement. Local governments cannot do that work alone and often depend on partnerships with local and regional public-safety agencies. Those partnerships are important, but they should not come at the expense of transparency and accountability.
In January, the San Clemente City Council voted 3-1, with one abstention, to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to install a surveillance tower on city-owned land. The agreement came before the council after months of discussions between city staff and CBP over the proposed surveillance system.
CBP says the system will monitor the coastline for vessels suspected of human smuggling. There is no question that human smuggling is dangerous, but law enforcement can address that threat without sacrificing residents’ privacy or local oversight.
Under the agreement, CBP will control and operate a $1 million surveillance system at the Avenida Salvador Reservoir. The federal government will control the tower, the system, and the footage it collects. The system includes radar, cameras, sensors, and communications equipment.
In discussing the agreement, CBP said it could not accept specific language restricting surveillance of residential areas, stating that the system could be needed to track suspected smuggling activity on land.
That is concerning because it leaves the city with limited oversight of a surveillance system operating on public land.
As a councilmember, I have supported the responsible use of technology to help law enforcement investigate crimes and keep our community safe. But those tools should have a clear public-safety purpose, meaningful oversight, and rules governing access to the information they collect.
Communities should not be asked to provide public land for powerful surveillance technology without meaningful safeguards governing its use. Basic questions matter: What information can the system collect? How long can it be stored? Who can access it?
As surveillance technology grows more powerful and widespread, with cameras, license plate readers, facial recognition systems, and other technologies becoming more sophisticated, the rules governing them need to keep pace.
My years in local government have taught me that residents expect us to solve problems without sacrificing transparency and accountability. They want safe neighborhoods, responsive government, and confidence that their elected officials are looking out for them.
Assembly District 74, from San Juan Capistrano to northern San Diego County, should not have to choose between public safety and transparency about government surveillance.
Clear rules and public accountability do not hinder effective law enforcement.
We can stop human smuggling and protect our coastline while also insisting that surveillance technology be governed by clear rules and meaningful oversight.
Sergio Farias is a San Juan Capistrano City Councilmember running for election to the California State Assembly to represent District 74.
