CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2026 BUSINESS & LEGISLATIVE
SUBJECT: RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE FROM THE PALM SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE CITY’S PUBLIC SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAM
AND REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Palm Springs Police Department
SUMMARY:
At the August 26, 2026, City Council meeting, the Council requested a future discussion item in which the Palm Springs Police Department (“PSPD” or “Department”) would report on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program (the license plate reader and video camera system provided by Flock Safety): how the technology is used, what it has accomplished, what concerns have surfaced, and how it has performed since installation, so that the Council can give the community an update. This report responds to that request.
The program began with a small license plate reader deployment in 2023 and was expanded with Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections (“BSCC”). It now includes 55 automated license plate reader (“ALPR”) cameras (the first 15 paid for by the City and 40 additional cameras funded by the BSCC grant) and 159 CCTV video cameras at approximately 55 intersections, covering roughly one percent of the City’s intersections. Since December 8, 2025, these cameras have been monitored from the Department’s Real Time Intelligence Center (“RTIC”), where dedicated staff pair camera alerts and video with the Department’s Drone as First Responder (“DFR”) program to direct officers to active incidents.
The Department has documented measurable operational and investigative outcomes from the program. From March 10 through September 30, 2026, RTIC records show the cameras provided investigative or operational support in 138 arrests involving offenses ranging from stolen vehicles and burglary to violent crime, arson and DUI. Separately, across the four quarters of program outcomes data from July 2025 through June 2026, 47 camera-assisted cases were cleared by arrest, 36 stolen vehicles were recovered, and more than $365,000 in recovered property was documented in camera-assisted cases where property values were reported. Comparing April–June 2024 with April–June 2026, reported motor-vehicle theft declined 70 percent, from 132 incidents to 39. The City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 2
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center Department does not attribute that reduction solely to the cameras; the trend reflects the combined impact of technology, directed enforcement, retailer partnerships and other crime-reduction efforts.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive and file the Police Department’s update on the Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center.
2. Provide direction to staff, as appropriate.
BACKGROUND:
The program’s public introduction began on September 18th, 2023, with a community town hall on drones, the RTIC, and ALPR. The Department first brought its proposal for 15 ALPR cameras to the City Council on September 26, 2023, and the Council postponed its vote to allow more time for public input. On October 12, 2023, after Chief Mills presented the proposal and the Council heard public comment, the Council approved the cameras and the Department’s ALPR use policy (Policy 430), and the City contracted with Flock Safety that month. That same year, the Department was awarded a three-year California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant (Award No. BSCC 1163-230) of approximately $4.5 million to reduce organized retail theft, motor vehicle theft, and repeat offending. The grant funded a coordinated package of strategies: license plate readers, intersection cameras, a drone program, a real-time crime center, window security film for businesses, catalytic converter etching, retailer training, and an anti-recidivism partnership. EvalCorp serves as the grant’s independent evaluator.
The City Council has acted on the program in public session several times. In July 2024, the Council approved the purchase of 40 grant-funded ALPR cameras. On December 12, 2024, the Council approved a citywide intersection camera system at approximately 50 key intersections, which became the City’s CCTV camera network. On January 9, 2025, the Council endorsed the Drone as First Responder program. On September 25, 2025, the Council unanimously approved Nova crime analysis software, bringing the vendor agreement to a value of up to $301,000 through October 1, 2028.
As the cameras came online, public interest in license plate reader technology grew, in Palm Springs and nationally, with residents raising questions about privacy, data retention, access, and the potential for misuse or sharing with federal immigration authorities. On August 26, 2026, the City Council requested an update and asked that it include data showing how the technology is being used.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
How the System Works
The program has several connected parts:
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 3
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center • ALPR cameras: fixed cameras that capture images of passing vehicles and their license plates. When a plate matches a “hot list” of stolen vehicles, wanted vehicles, or missing persons, the system sends an alert. The cameras are not used for facial recognition. • CCTV cameras: live and recorded video cameras at intersections, which staff use to view incidents in progress and preserve evidence.
• Free Form search: lets investigators search for a vehicle by description (for example, a white pickup with a ladder rack) when no plate number is available, or for a person by clothing description. The system does not allow searches by a person’s race. • Operating Platform: the software that brings camera feeds, alerts, and live 911 call information together in the RTIC. 911 call data from the Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, and Indio police departments have also been integrated. • Nova: crime analysis and case-linking software approved by the Council in September 2025. It has been purchased and can currently be used for open source intelligence (“OSINT”); its full use is pending California Department of Justice approval, which the City has been working through since early 2026.
Program Inventory
Component Quantity Status
ALPR cameras 55 (15 City-funded; 40 grantfunded)All 55 installed by June 2025
CCTV intersection
cameras
159 cameras at
approximately 55
intersections
All 159 installed as of June
2026
Real Time Intelligence
Center
1 Sergeant and 3 full-time
operators
Operational since
December 8, 2025; two
shifts covering 6:30 a.m. to
9:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday
Drone as First
Responder
4 DJI Dock systems; 10 radar
sites in Palm Springs and 2
in Cathedral City
Operational; integrated with
the RTIC
Nova analysis
software
1 platform Purchased; OSINT use
available; full use pending
DOJ approval
How the Department Uses the Cameras
The cameras are used in two ways: in real time, to locate a vehicle or person connected to a crime as it happens, and after the fact, to give investigators leads, timelines, and evidence. A typical real-time response begins when a camera flags a stolen or wanted vehicle. The alert is confirmed by involved personnel against state and national City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 4
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center databases, and an RTIC operator pulls up nearby CCTV cameras to find the vehicle’s location and direction of travel, and, when needed, launches a drone to keep the vehicle in view. Officers are then directed to the location with current information before they arrive. This approach lets officers act on information about a specific vehicle connected to a specific crime, rather than relying on general descriptions or pretext stops.
The RTIC log shows how often this gives officers an advantage. In 75 of the 109 cameraassisted arrests with recorded response times, RTIC staff had eyes on the scene through cameras or a drone before the first officer arrived. Recent examples include:
• April 21, 2026: A camera alert flagged a vehicle stolen in a residential burglary. A drone located it at a downtown hotel, and officers arrested the suspect when he returned to it. The $26,000 vehicle was returned to its owner. • May 1, 2026: Working from a plate supplied by Desert Hot Springs Police, the RTIC added a felony vehicle to the hot list, received an alert, and tracked it on camera across the city line, where officers arrested a person wanted for a theft of more than $100,000.
• May 21, 2026: After Desert Hot Springs Police were notified that a high-risk missing juvenile was listed on a travel manifest, RTIC staff used ALPR and video data to help locate her, and she was found safe.
• June 12, 2026: After a structure fire was reported, RTIC operators used cameras and a drone to spot a man leaving the scene, located him on two more cameras, and directed officers to him for an arson arrest.
• September 30, 2026: Officers responding to an in-progress commercial burglary had no plate number. RTIC used a Free Form vehicle description to find the suspect vehicle, added it to the hot list, and tracked it to the Palm Springs train station, where suspects were taken into custody.
The cameras are also used routinely for traffic collisions and hit-and-run investigations, missing person and welfare checks, and mental health calls. In a December 2025 case, camera review identified the vehicle in a hit-and-run collision with a bicyclist, leading to an arrest for felony hit-and-run and DUI. RTIC operators also document when a search finds nothing (for example, “no hits” or “no recent activity”), which supports accountability for how the system is used.
The program is regional by nature. Camera information is shared with Cathedral City Police, Desert Hot Springs Police, Indio Police, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and other California partners, and the RTIC has supported arrests in partner jurisdictions. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has committed staff to train in the RTIC, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (“CVAG”) is finalizing an agreement to connect its regional traffic cameras.
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 5
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center Program Rollout
Date Milestone
2023 Community town hall on drones, RTIC, and ALPR (September 18). City Council postpones its vote on the first 15 ALPR cameras to allow more public input (September 26), then approves the cameras and ALPR Policy 430 after public
comment (October 12). The City contracts with its camera vendor. PSPD awarded the BSCC Organized Retail Theft
Prevention Grant.
April 2024 Full-time Sergeant assigned to manage the grant. EvalCorp selected as independent evaluator.
July 2024 City Council approves 40 grant-funded ALPR cameras.
December 12, 2024 City Council approves the citywide intersection camera system.
January 9, 2025 City Council endorses the Drone as First Responder program.
January–June
2025
ALPR installation: 32 of 55 installed by March 2025; all 55 by June 2025.
June–December
2025
CCTV camera installation: 20 cameras by June, 133 by
September, and 158 by December 2025.
September 25,
2025
City Council unanimously approves Nova analysis software.
December 8, 2025 Real Time Intelligence Center becomes fully operational.
January–June
2026
Final CCTV camera installed. RTIC expands to two shifts with four dedicated staff. DFR network completed (4 docks; 10 radar sites in Palm Springs and 2 in Cathedral City).
August–
September 2026
Public tours of the RTIC (August 20 and September 26).
Community Advisory Group holds its first meeting. Council requests this update (August 26).
Community Engagement To Date
The Department has held community meetings, presentations, and tours on the program since before the first cameras were installed. These have given residents, businesses, and partners the chance to learn how ALPR, intersection cameras, the RTIC, and the Drone as First Responder program work, and to ask about their purpose, privacy considerations, policies, and safeguards.
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 6
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center Date Engagement
September 18,
2023
Community town hall at police headquarters on drones, the Real Time Intelligence Center, ALPR, and SWAT operations.
September 26,
2023
City Council considers the Department’s first 15 ALPR cameras in public session and postpones its vote to allow more time for public input.
October 12, 2023 Chief Mills presents the proposed implementation of the Department’s first 15 ALPR cameras to the City Council in public session. After hearing public comments, the Council approves the cameras and ALPR Policy 430.
November 6, 2024 Retail crime prevention community meeting at police headquarters.
January 14, 2025 Working group meeting with representatives of large retailers on retail theft prevention.
April 1, 2025 Downtown Business District video conference, attended by approximately 29 business owners.
January–March
2026
Nine RTIC tours for community members, elected officials, county representatives, business leaders, law enforcement partners, and community advocates.
February 17, 2026 Organized Retail Theft community meeting with major local retailers, including information on DFR operations and the RTIC, followed by an RTIC tour.
February 28, 2026 Behind the Badge Open House, featuring the PSPD Drone Unit.
August–
September 2026
Public RTIC tours and demonstrations, including tours on August 20 and September 26 showing what operators can view through the cameras and the policies that govern their use.
In addition, each major component of the program (the ALPR purchase, the intersection camera system, the DFR program, and Nova) was approved by the City Council in a public meeting with opportunity for public comment. The Department has also provided direct crime prevention outreach to local businesses, reaching approximately 83 businesses to date.
Most recently, the Department formed a five-member Community Advisory Group, including technology experts and residents who raised concerns about the technology, which held its first meeting in late August 2026. Because members review sensitive investigative material, its meetings are not public. The group is intended to serve as a link between the Department and the community’s diverse voices, bringing a range of City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 7
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center perspectives, concerns, and experiences to the Chief as the Department develops its policies and practices for emerging technology. Its goal is meaningful community input that helps ensure the technology is used responsibly, ethically, and in keeping with the values and expectations of the community.
Data Collected To Date
The Department tracks the cameras’ impact through three sources: the Outcomes dataset, which records cases in which camera information directly supported an investigation; the RTIC arrest log; and the quarterly progress reports submitted to BSCC.
Each measure something slightly different, so they are presented separately below.
Outcomes Dataset. In each quarter, the Department reviews officer “event notes” (each documented use of the system) and the cases in which camera information directly advanced an investigation:
Quarter Event
Notes
Documented
Cases
Cleared
by Arrest
Vehicles
Recovered
Property
Recovered
Jul–Sep 2025 179 19 6 8 $183,052*
Oct–Dec 2025 265 19 12 11 $215,050
Jan–Mar 2026 265 23 12 7 $78,500
Apr–Jun 2026 200 62 17 10 $72,100
Total, Jul
2025–Jun 2026
909 123 47 36 $548,702
*The July–September 2025 property figure reflects all retail and vehicle theft recoveries citywide that quarter, as reported to BSCC; camera-specific recoveries were not separated. Camera-assisted recoveries in the other three quarters total $365,650.
Beyond arrests, in the three quarters for which outcomes were broken down further (July– December 2025 and April–June 2026), the cameras generated new investigative leads in 52 of 100 cases, and 12 more were resolved through vehicle recovery or other means.
The system’s use is broad. In July–September 2025, for example, the most common uses were stolen vehicle investigations (48 event notes), attempts to locate (24), data validation checks (14), and mental health and welfare calls (12), followed by report followups, grand thefts, and burglaries. Documented cases rose to 62 in April–June 2026, nearly triple the 23 recorded in January–March 2026 and more than triple each 2025 quarter, reflecting both increased use after the RTIC opened and more consistent documentation by dedicated RTIC staff.
Camera-Assisted Arrests
The RTIC log records every arrest supported by RTIC technology. From March 10 through September 30, 2026, it documented 248 arrests, of which 138 involved the program’s cameras (133 used CCTV video, 24 used ALPR, and 8 used Free Form search; City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 8
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center many used more than one tool). The remaining 110 were supported by drones alone. Of the 138 camera-assisted arrests, 133 were Palm Springs cases and 5 assisted partner agencies.
Type of Incident Camera-Assisted
Arrests
Violent crime, weapons, domestic violence, and arson 22 Theft, retail theft, burglary, and robbery 17
Stolen vehicles 8
DUI, hit-and-run, and traffic collisions 13
Vandalism 2
Officer-initiated traffic and pedestrian stops (RTIC
overwatch)
34 Trespass, disturbances, suspicious persons, welfare
checks, and warrants
42 Total (March 10 – September 30, 2026) 138
Where recovered property values were recorded, camera-assisted arrests in this period returned more than $70,000 in property to victims, most of it in recovered stolen vehicles.
Because the RTIC log counts every arrest the cameras supported (including camera overwatch of an officer’s stop) while the Outcomes dataset counts cases where camera information drove the result, the two figures differ and should not be added together.
Progress in Addressing Crime
The Department’s quarterly reports to BSCC track the crimes the grant was designed to reduce. These figures reflect all reported incidents and arrests citywide, not only those involving the cameras:
Quarter Retail Theft
Incidents
Retail Theft
Arrests
Vehicle Theft
Incidents
Vehicle Theft
Arrests
Apr–Jun 2024 79 34 132 4
Jul–Sep 2024 67 20 91 10
Jan–Mar 2025 61 11 59 9
Apr–Jun 2025 82 32 45 4
Jul–Sep 2025 91 38 36 7
Oct–Dec 2025 118 41 47 4
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 9
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center Quarter Retail Theft
Incidents
Retail Theft
Arrests
Vehicle Theft
Incidents
Vehicle Theft
Arrests
Jan–Mar 2026 91 38 36 7
Apr–Jun 2026 108 41 39 13
Several trends stand out:
• Motor vehicle theft has dropped sharply. Reported vehicle thefts fell 70 percent between April–June 2024 (132) and April–June 2026 (39) and have remained below 50 in every reported quarter since the ALPR network was completed in mid-2025.
Vehicle theft arrests in April–June 2026 (13) were the highest of any reported quarter. • Retail theft arrests have nearly doubled. Over the three most recent reported quarters, the Department averaged 40 retail theft arrests per quarter, compared with about 22 per quarter over the first three reported quarters. Reported retail theft incidents have also risen, which the Department attributes in part to faster detection through cameras, closer relationships with retailers, and better documentation of incidents.
• Stolen property is coming back to victims. In July–December 2025 alone, the Department reported more than $720,000 in recovered stolen property connected to retail and vehicle theft.
• Officers arrive better informed. RTIC staff routinely relay suspect descriptions, locations, and hazards before officers make contact, including in cases involving knives, a replica firearm, and suspects fleeing on foot.
These results reflect the combined effect of the camera network, the drone program, directed patrols in hot spot areas, retailer partnerships, and the RTIC, and the declines also coincide with broader statewide decreases in some property crimes. The vehicle theft decline began in late 2024, before the full camera network was installed, and continued as it came online. The grant’s independent evaluator will assess the program’s overall effectiveness in its final Local Evaluation Report.
Privacy, Data Security, and Oversight
The Department recognizes that license plate reader technology raises legitimate questions about privacy and civil liberties, and that public trust depends on clear limits.
The program operates under the following safeguards:
• Data retention: ALPR data is automatically purged after 30 days. Data downloaded for a case is kept in accordance with the City of Palm Springs records retention schedule.
• California-only sharing: Consistent with state law (Civil Code Section 1798.90.5 et seq., also known as SB 34), Department policy limits ALPR data sharing to California public agencies; other local agencies may search Palm Springs data only under a memorandum of understanding. The Department currently shares data with 26 City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 10
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center California law enforcement agencies and has ended sharing with two: one after data was shared outside California, and another over concerns about potential access by federal agents. ALPR data is never sold or provided to non-law enforcement entities. • No immigration enforcement: Department policy prohibits sharing ALPR data for federal immigration enforcement and requires compliance with the California Values Act. Data is not shared with federal immigration agencies or agencies outside California unless there is a court order, or a written request stating its purpose is approved by the Chief of Police or designee. When the Council approved Nova in September 2025, the Department affirmed that the agreement does not allow Palm Springs data to be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Limited exceptions have applied to serious criminal investigations, such as the FBI’s investigation of the bombing in Palm Springs.
• Policy and training: Use of the system is governed by the Department’s Automated License Plate Readers policy (Lexipol Policy 430), as required by SB 34, and by policies on surveillance technology and bias-free policing. State law also requires an agency to provide an opportunity for public comment at a regularly scheduled meeting of its governing body before implementing an ALPR program (Civil Code Section 1798.90.55); the City Council met that requirement on October 12, 2023, when it heard public comment and approved the cameras and Policy 430. The City’s contract requires the ALPR vendor to comply with Policy 430. The policy limits use to legitimate law enforcement purposes and prohibits use for harassment, intimidation, or personal reasons, with violations subject to discipline up to termination, civil liability, or criminal prosecution. Only approved positions may access the system, and each user must complete California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) security training and Department ALPR training and acknowledge the policy before receiving access. • Hot list controls: Vehicles may be added to a hot list only for specific serious purposes, such as stolen vehicles, warrants for serious violent offenses, AMBER and missing person alerts, and official criminal bulletins, and never for minor offenses or personal reasons. Each entry requires a written request and supervisor approval (or supervisor review by end of shift in an emergency), expires after 30 days unless renewed in writing, and is audited every 30 days.
• Audits and accountability: Every search is logged by user and must include the reason for the search and any related case number. Users log in with individual credentials on Department equipment. Under the policy, the ALPR Administrator (the Operations Division Captain or their designee) audits system use every 30 days and submits a quarterly audit report to the Chief of Police. The system currently has 141 authorized users, including sworn and professional Department staff, City IT staff, and vendor IT support, and the Department is not aware of any misuse of the system by an authorized user.
• Public transparency portal: The Department maintains an ALPR Technology Transparency Portal where the public can view Policy 430, the number of ALPR searches conducted to date, the agencies the City shares data with, and permitted and prohibited uses.
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 11
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center • Proposed misuse ordinance: To strengthen these protections, the City Attorney has prepared a proposed ordinance adding Chapter 11.104 to the Palm Springs Municipal Code. It would make it a misdemeanor to use an ALPR system to stalk or harass a person, facilitate a crime, gain a personal advantage, or intentionally invade someone’s privacy without a legitimate, documented law enforcement purpose. Each improper search would count as a separate offense, punishable by a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. A violation by a City employee would be grounds for termination, and anyone harmed could sue for damages of at least $2,500, plus punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
• Community input: The Community Advisory Group described above brings community perspectives directly into the Department’s decisions on technology policies and practices.
Future Reporting to the City Council
The Department will provide quarterly updates to the City Council. Each update will cover:
• How the technology is being used
• Auditing and accountability practices, including the 30-day system audits conducted under the policy by the ALPR Administrator (the Operations Division Captain or their designee)
• Measurable public safety outcomes, including investigative leads, crime deterrence, stolen property recovered, and missing or at-risk individuals located.
Transparency and consistent engagement are central to the program. The Department is committed to using these tools responsibly, with clear policies, ethical guardrails, appropriate oversight, and ongoing accountability to both the City Council and the community.
Next Steps
• Fully activate Nova once DOJ approval is received; City IT is building the supporting infrastructure in parallel so the platform can go live immediately. • Hold the Department’s fourth drone pilot training course in October 2026, fill the civilian RTIC Manager position, and continue cross-training dispatchers to support the RTIC.
• Finalize agreements with CVAG to integrate regional traffic cameras and with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to formalize its RTIC staffing. • Bring forward the proposed ALPR misuse ordinance for City Council consideration. • Continue quarterly reporting to BSCC, complete the independent evaluation, and begin quarterly updates to the City Council as described above.
City Council Staff Report
October 14, 2026 -- Page 12
Update on the City’s Public Safety Camera Program and Real Time Intelligence Center ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This item is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).
Receiving an informational report is an administrative activity of government that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Public Safety and Community Services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report. The ALPR and CCTV cameras, the RTIC, and the Drone as First Responder program were funded primarily through the BSCC Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant (approximately $4.5 million).
Funding for the program’s ongoing costs after the grant ends will be considered as part of future City budgets.
REVIEWED BY:
Department Director: Kyle Stjerne, Chief of Police
City Attorney: Jeff Ballinger
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
None.