The idea of using AI to help cops write police reports is one Jared Wilson, head of the San Diego police union, isn’t on board with… at least for now.
Last week, our Jakob McWhinney broke the news that the San Diego Police Department was exploring the idea of using artificial intelligence to help officers write police reports. It could “enhance efficiency,” department officials wrote.
It’s caused a stir among community leaders and activists who worry about what introducing AI could do to community relations with officers.
Wilson is also against it, but not for reasons you may think.
He told McWhinney that he’s actually not outright opposed to this kind of technology or even to the idea of using it to help officers, but he does think the department isn’t ready for a move like this.
There’s a long list of things the department should be prioritizing — like more officers on the street — over new tech, he said.
Elsewhere in AI Policing
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn may be changing his stance on Flock, the automatic license-plate reader technology that’s faced increasing pushback in recent months. According to spokesperson Max Walther, Whitburn is holding a press conference at 9:00 am at City Hall to “talk about his reasoning and positioning,” as it relates to the technology.
During June’s contentious budget hearings, Whitburn voted no on an amendment by Councilmember Henry Foster to eliminate the city’s contract with Flock. That amendment failed 5-4, leaving the contract in place. Exactly what Whitburn will announce tomorrow isn’t clear, but if he changes his “positioning,” it could spell trouble for the controversial tech’s future in San Diego.
IBA on Midway Rising: ‘A Fair and Reasonable Transaction’
The city of San Diego has had some putrid real estate transactions and in 2022, led by then Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe, the Council insisted that for the redevelopment of its nearly 50 acres of land at Sports Arena, the Council’s independent budget analyst, or IBA, would be part of the negotiations.
It was unprecedented for the Council to have a representative at the table. Now, Charles Modica, the IBA, has released his report on the proposed deal.
He’s into it: “Overall, our Office believes the proposed agreement represents a fair and reasonable transaction for the City. The agreement requires the Developer to undertake a substantial financial investment to redevelop 48.5 acres of City-owned property that has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, while providing significant new housing, entertainment, and commercial opportunities.”
The Council will begin discussing the proposed deal Friday at its Land Use and Housing Committee.
Environment Report: The Phenomenon That Could Weaken El Niño
Over the weekend, many San Diegans up and down the coastline experienced the effects of hurricane weather caused by El Niño.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern that redistributes ocean heat energy between the eastern and western Pacific.
This year is predicted to be the strongest on record, but scientists say something called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, or PDO, could weaken El Niño. The PDO cycles every few decades causing another heat exchange between the northern and southern hemispheres. It’s been lingering in what’s known as its cooling phase, which could lessen the intensity of El Niño.
But, our MacKenzie Elmer writes, there’s speculation among some scientists who question if the PDO will even matter if the super El Niño is too powerful.
Read the Environment Report here.
Del Mar Fairgrounds Board Chair: Who Is Debrah Barnes?
Yesterday, we reported that District Attorney Summer Stephan declined to pursue a criminal investigation, much less charges, against Attorney General Rob Bonta or 22nd District Agricultural Board Member Mark Arabo. The Del Mar City Council requested an investigation from Stephan in August.
There’s an update: 22nd DAA Board Chair Sam Nejabat released a statement celebrating Stephan’s decision not to pursue charges. But he also called for an independent review into the identity of Debrah Barnes, the “resident” who apparently kicked off the whole fiasco.
Barnes, or someone writing by that name, submitted a letter to the City Council that city leaders said prompted them to request the investigations.
No one, not even the DA’s office, has been able to verify if Barnes even exists.
“I also believe legitimate questions remain regarding the circumstances surrounding this complaint, including its origins and whether the identity of the purported complainant was independently verified,” Nejabat said in the press release.
Our Tigist Layne hasn’t been able to find Barnes, either. And Del Mar City Manager Ashley Jones said via email that the city didn’t look into Barnes at all:
“The city didn’t investigate the concerns that were raised or the individual that raised them. Instead, the City Council took action to refer the matter to the appropriate outside agencies for review. No further action has been taken by the city since that time, and the city has no comment on the DA’s letter.”
San Diego Kind of Made It on SNL
Saturday Night Live did a cold open where Colin Jost, wearing a grenade belt made up entirely of Fireball shooters, played the role of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth giving a speech in San Diego last week. Hegseth welcomed the sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln home from one of the longest deployments in naval history.
In Other News
- Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing Prop. 42, he announced Friday, a statewide ballot measure that would cancel out Prop. 40, the billionaire tax, and would ban any future taxes on wealth. Newsom had already vocally opposed the billionaire tax; he has not yet taken a position Prop. 41, another measure that could also nullify the billionaire tax. (CalMatters)
- UC San Diego is pausing at least five clinical trials related to curing or controlling HIV after the National Institutes of Health told scientists not to launch new studies because federal funding is set to expire by the end of 2027. (Union-Tribune)
- Assemblymember Nick Shultz, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, wants to schedule oversight hearings to look into conditions at the Donovan state prison in Otay Mesa after reports of inmates being locked down during extreme heat waves. (KPBS)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne and Jakob McWhinney. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.