City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: August 24, 2026
Report #:2607-6594
TITLE
Surveillance Technology Report for Fiscal Year 2026; CEQA Status- Not a project
RECOMMENDATION
This is an informational report about the City's use of surveillance technology in Palo Alto during Fiscal Year 2026. No City Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In September 2019, the City Council adopted the Surveillance and Privacy Protection Ordinance, establishing criteria and procedures for the protection of personal privacy when considering the acquisition and use of surveillance technologies by the City.1 Codified in the Municipal Code at Chapter 2.30, Part 6A, the ordinance also outlines ongoing monitoring and annual reporting of such technologies. Annual reporting must include the following information pursuant to PAMC section 2.30.680(a):
1. A brief description of how each City Council-approved surveillance technology was used, including whether it captures images, sound, or information regarding members of the public who are not suspected of engaging in unlawful conduct;
2. Whether and how often data acquired through the use of surveillance technology was shared with outside entities, the names of any recipient entity, the types of data disclosed, and the reason for disclosure;
3. A summary of any community complaints or concerns about surveillance technology;
4. Non-privileged and non-confidential information regarding the results of any internal audits, information about violations of the surveillance use policy, and any actions taken in response;
5. Whether the surveillance technology has been effective at achieving its identified purpose;
1 City Council Meeting 09/18/2018, Agenda Item#8,
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=2185
6. The number and nature of Public Records Act requests relating to the surveillance technology;
7. Annual costs for the surveillance technology and for compliance with this surveillance; and
8. Other relevant information as determined by the City Manager.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the Surveillance and Privacy Protection Ordinance, the following departmental activities are summarized in this report.
Information Technology (IT) Department
Council Chambers Security Cameras. In April 2025, City Council approved the purchase of security cameras to enhance the safety and security of the Council Chambers.3 Equipment necessary for facilitating public meetings, including computers, monitors, and microphones, is kept in the Council Chambers and the general area. The public can access Council Chambers for public meetings or authorized special events. Outside of public meetings, room use is limited to staff in order to minimize tampering and the risk of damage to City property and equipment. In the past, there have been incidents of vandalism, theft, and interference with A/V equipment that is essential in supporting public meetings in Council Chambers. This surveillance system captures audio and video, which is required to be retained for 1 year by the City. Since camera installation there have been no additional incidents, indicating successful deterrence Surveillance will also assist should an incident occur. Additionally, no data was shared externally during the reporting period.
The total contract cost is $4,886, which includes acquisition of surveillance cameras, monitoring systems, storage, maintenance, and personnel for oversight. During this reporting period, there have been no formal complaints, no reported use violations, and no Public Records Act requests. This project also includes a one-time cost of $5,400 for installation and an annual $605 licensing fee. The IT department funds this contract.
Police Department
Body Worn, Vehicle, and Interview Cameras. On June 18, 2024, City Council approved the contract with LensLock, a technology system that is used to document police contacts with the public.4 This Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) is fully integrated with in-car, interview, and body-worn cameras used to capture video and audio. This technology is used for 3 City Council Meeting 04/21/2025, Agenda Item#10
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=16054 4 City Council Meeting 06/18/2024, Agenda Item #AA1,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=14317 law enforcement activities including, but not limited to, traffic stops, parking enforcement, suspect interviews, witness interviews, and other public contact in response to a call for service.
It is also used when investigating criminal activity through police user-activated audio and video recordings. The system’s metadata is automatically uploaded into the evidence management system application, where the video assets are verified as original or exact duplicates (non- edited data) and managed as evidence. This technology has successfully achieved its purpose, enabling greater transparency and accountability. The Police Department also worked with the vendor to improve their Digital Evidence Management System DEMS. These updates delayed the body-worn and in-car systems implementation. Vehicle installation began in August 2025, and the fleet was fully upgraded to Lenslock in December 2025.
The ongoing cost of the service is $214,800 annually. Funding for this contract is from the Capital Budget Police Video Recording System replacement. During the FY2026 reporting period, there have been no formal complaints, reported violations of use, or Public Records Act requests regarding this technology. Additionally, no data was shared externally during the reporting period.
GPS Vehicle Tracking. On April 15. In 2025, the City Council approved the contract with Starchase LLC for GPS vehicle-tracking implementation to track vehicles that may have been used in the commission of a crime.7 This technology is able to be launched from a patrol vehicle onto a fleeing vehicle to capture the vehicle’s GPS location. Tracking implementation has been successful, and many suspect vehicles have stopped once they notice a tracking device has been deployed. The total cost of a three-year term is not to exceed $224,657.
In FY 2024, this contract came to a total (grant-funded) cost of $165,308, including the launchers and GPS devices, initial installation, setup, 2-year warranty, user training, data storage, and tracking performance access. The annual cost in FY 2026 is $26,400. During this reporting period, there have been no formal complaints, no reported use violations, and no Public Records Act requests related to this system. There was no data shared externally during this reporting period, and no technology-use violations occurred. eCitation Devices. On March 14, 2022, City Council approved the acquisition of handheld citation devices with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology for traffic violations by police officers.8 When used by officers, the device’s camera captures license plate images, which are processed through OCR to retrieve vehicle make and model information. This eliminates the need for manual entry into the records management system (RMS). In FY 2026, the total contract and maintenance costs to the General Fund was $23,714. 7 City Council Meeting 04/15/2024, Agenda Item#11,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=13591 8 City Council Meeting 03/14/2022,
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=81706&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto The Police Department issued over 1,500 electronic citations in FY 2026. By implementing electronic citations, the data is automatically uploaded to the Police Records Management System (RMS), reducing staff time required to manually enter citations. This improves efficiency, thereby successfully achieving its intended purpose. Also, citations are electronically uploaded to the Santa Clara Traffic Court System. To date, there have been no formal complaints, no reported violations of use, and no Public Records Act requests related to this system.
Fixed Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR). On April 3, 2023, City Council approved the contract with Flock Safety to implement fixed Automated License Plate Recognition as well as approve a surveillance use policy for the new camera equipment.11 In December 2024, City Council approved the deployment of 10 additional Automated License Plate Recognition cameras.12 ALPR technology uses a combination of cameras and computer software to scan license plates of passing vehicles and other details such as make, model, type, and color. The technology provides real-time alerts when stolen or wanted cars enter an area and provides enhanced investigative capabilities when a crime has already occurred. The contract cost in FY 2026 was $83,500. This was paid for using a combination of the General Fund and a State grant.
ALPR data sharing among local law enforcement partners allows agencies to investigate collaboratively, identify and apprehend multi-jurisdictional offenders, or those who commit crimes in one jurisdiction but reside in another. The City currently has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with local agencies listed in Attachment A, where data is shared for law enforcement investigative purposes related to a specific criminal investigation. The Department has taken steps to minimize any potential misuse by limiting data sharing strictly with local law enforcement agencies per the MOU, and requiring them to abide by California law, which prohibits sharing data with Federal or out-of-state agencies.
Recently, many agencies, including the Palo Alto Police Department, were unaware that Flock had introduced a nationwide search feature.13 This allowed out-of-state or federal law enforcement to query data from over 6,000 cameras across 400 agencies, including 10 in Palo Alto. All searches required articulation of legitimate law enforcement purpose. Palo Alto became aware of the issue in December 2025 and later learned the feature had already been disabled for Palo Alto by late October 2025 and for all other California agencies by March 2025.
Members of the Palo Alto community have expressed concerns about whether data collected by the Palo Alto Police Department is being shared with immigration authorities or other 11 City Council Meeting 04/03/2023, Agenda Item #11,
Meetinghttps://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/meeting?meetingtemplateid=1103 12 City Council Meeting 12/02/2024, Agenda Item #11,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/meeting?meetingtemplateid=14525 13 City Council Meeting 06/01/2026
https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/2/police-department/public-information-portal/alpr-staff-report- 6-1-2026.pdf
federal agencies. Community members also expressed concerns about whether the Department should continue its relationship with the vendor. This surveillance technology has provided significant public safety benefits. It has contributed to the recovery of stolen and wanted vehicles, and arrests of wanted people. Investigative searches have also contributed to the safe recovery of missing persons and assisted law enforcement in ongoing criminal investigations. Below are a few examples to illustrate the successful application of this technology:
An elderly man, who suffers from dementia, was discovered to have taken his caregiver’s vehicle without permission and was missing. Flock data was used to determine his path of travel and, ultimately, locate him safely within the hour; A despondent teenager suffering from a mental health crisis had made threats of suicide before leaving home in a vehicle. Flock data was used to determine their path of travel, and a Flock real-time alert allowed officers to locate them safely and ensure they received appropriate care;
Two suspects committed an armed robbery in Palo Alto after having just committed an armed robbery in another city. A Flock real-time alert allowed officers to locate the vehicle’s direction of travel within minutes, and additional Flock alerts in another city aided officers as they pursued the vehicle, apprehended the suspects, and recovered multiple firearms; and
Two suspects committed a robbery at a shopping center and injured a police officer during their escape. Palo Alto Flock data was used to identify the suspects and Flock data in other cities enabled PAPD detectives to locate the suspect vehicle and, ultimately, arrest both suspects within 24 hours.
The department received 31 Public Records Act Requests related to ALPR during the reporting period, and this is listed in Attachment B. The City has enlisted the independent Police Auditor to address this topic in a special report, which staff anticipated will be presented to Council later this year.
Transportation
Automatic License Plate Recognition (LPR) for Parking Enforcement. In February 2021, City Council approved the use of license plate recognition technology and corresponding LPR surveillance policy to be used for parking enforcement and permit management.17 LPR technology captures license plate images to identify vehicles and track parking time. 17 City Council Meeting 02/22/21,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/2/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports- cmrs/year-archive/2021/id-11492.pdf
During the reporting period, there have been no formal complaints filed, use violations, or Public Records Act requests. ALPR has been successful in supporting City Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) programs by providing both enforcement and permit management efficiencies. Images of license plates are utilized as supporting documentation to verify parking time limits were exceeded. All other images are routinely purged in compliance with City surveillance policy adopted for this program. No data was shared externally during this reporting period. Ongoing costs are included in combined Duncan, LAZ and Turbodata contract costs. The total contract is $750,000, funded by the General Fund and Parking Program Funds.
Traffic Signal Detection Hardware. On February 6, 2023, City Council approved the contract with Iteris for traffic signal operations.19 These devices are designed solely to detect when a vehicle is approaching an intersection to provide the vehicle with a green light phase. Data collection is used to support traffic control measures, roadway improvements, signal timings, pedestrian and bicycle roadway improvements. Together, these systems enhance traffic signal operations. The feature of this technology to capture images, sound, or any other identifying information is turned off. Live or sample video feeds may be used during configuration and testing to ensure detection capabilities are set up and operate correctly. After completion of configuration, the live video feed would be turned off. The technology has been effective in detecting vehicle presence and allowing for optimal traffic signal operations. In the past, staff have used live video feeds to observe real-time traffic conditions and to adjust traffic signal operations. In upcoming years, Staff may use technology for vehicle count and time of day data to assist with operations and programming of signal timing During this reporting period, there have been no reported violations of use, and no Public Act requests related to this system. No data was shared externally during this reporting period.
Although this technology is capable of collecting video recordings, the Office of Transportation does not create, collect, or keep video recordings. Community occasionally requests video recordings after traffic collisions or incidents, but the Office of Transportation is unable to provide requested footage. The total cost of the contract is $130,000.
Traffic Data Collection Cameras. In April 2021, Council approved the use of technology for traffic data collection.20 The video technology is used solely to capture bicycle, pedestrian, parking occupancy, and vehicle turning-movement counts. This data helps inform appropriate traffic control measures, roadway enhancements, signal timing adjustments, and pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. This technology does not collect visual, audio, location, or any personal identifiable information of individuals or vehicles. Office of Transportation works 19City Council Meeting 02/06/2023, Agenda Item #9,
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=82235&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto&searchid=0e59ea26 -3103-48ee-bd36-42d429d52ed0
20 City Council Meeting 04/05/2021, Agenda Item #4
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports- cmrs/year-archive/2021/id-11985.pdf
with the vendor Data Service CA LL on projects where cameras are used. Below are some examples of projects used in FY26. This data collection method is highly effective and provides precise counts of vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, as well as accurate vehicle speed data. Video technology was used in February 2026 at Old Trace Rd and Arastradero Rd to determine whether traffic volumes met criteria for installing a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB). Video technology was used in March 2026 at 21 intersections in the Midtown neighborhood as part of the South Palo Alto Bike/Ped Connectivity Project.
During the reporting period, there have been no formal complaints filed, use violations, or Public Records Act requests. Additionally, no data was shared externally. Cameras are installed only during the data-collection period and are accompanied by visible hand-tags labelled “Traffic Data Camera,” including the service provider’s name and contact phone number.
This technology has been successful by providing the Office of Transportation with data that is expensive to collect manually, while reducing the potential for error. The total cost for a 4-year term is not to exceed $200,000, funded by the Capital Improvement Program and the General Fund.
Tenants on City Property
Ada’s Café Security Cameras. On June 16, 2025, Council approved the Surveillance Use Policy for security cameras at Ada’s Café at Mitchell Park Community Center and Library.23 Incidents of vandalism to Ada’s property had increased, and the owners had an interest in installing cameras to deter such incidents. According to the owners, some of the vandalized items include the café’s outdoor furniture and equipment. The goal of this technology is to enhance safety and security both inside and outside Ada’s café. This surveillance captures real-time video and audio of the interior and exterior areas. Cameras are positioned to monitor key entry points to monitor key entry points and café seating areas.
Staff at Ada’s café have reported feeling safer with the camera installations. Surveillance footage will be accessible only to designated café management and City police personnel for law enforcement purposes. According to Ada Cafe‘s staff, there have been no formal complaints filed, violations, or Public Records Act requests during the reporting period. Additionally, no data was shared externally. This technology is paid for by Ada’s café and there is no cost to the City for this project.
23 City Council Meeting 06/16/2025, Item #9
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=16147 Palo Alto Museum. In December 2025, City Council approved the installation of security cameras to enhance the safety and security of the Palo Alto Museum (PAM) at the Roth Building located at 300 Homer Avenue.25 Security cameras have been installed on the exterior and interior of the building to prevent incidents of vandalism or theft. The surveillance system captures video, audio (if permitted by law), and associated metadata, including date, time, and camera location. The footage obtained from the cameras can provide evidence to the Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) if an incident should occur inside or outside the building.
According to Palo Alto Museum staff, there have been no formal complaints filed, violations, or Public Records Act requests during the reporting period. Additionally, no data was shared externally. The security cameras continue to support the intended purpose of enhancing the security and safety of the museum against vandalism and theft. This technology has also been successful in deterring and documenting vandalism, theft, and other criminal activity. The ongoing cost of this technology is $6,875.59, paid by the Palo Alto Museum.
EXEMPT SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT INCLUDED FOR INFORMATION ONLY The surveillance ordinance excludes the following surveillance technology, among others, from reporting:
Any technology that collects information exclusively on or regarding City employees or contractors;
Any technology used as part of the Foothill Fire Early Warning System to detect fire within the following area:
oWest Side: Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35) from Route 84 (Woodside Rd/La Honda Rd.) to Hwy 9
oNorth Side: Route 84 from Skyline to Alameda de la Pulgas oEast Side: Alameda de las Pulgas to Santa Cruz Avenue to Junipero Serra Rd. to Foothill Expwy
oSouthside Side: Draw a line from the intersection of Hwy 9 and Hwy 35 to the intersection of Foothill Expwy at Magdalena.
The following surveillance system falls under these exemptions but is included in this report for Council awareness.
Foothill Fire Safety Cameras. As part of the improvement to the Foothills Management Plan, the Office of Emergency Services deployed several AlertWildfire cameras in the Foothills for early detection of wildfires as part of an interagency and countywide effort. 25 City Council Meeting 12/15/2025, Agenda Item#7
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Presenting this information to the public, parallel to its transmittal to the City Council, ensures that stakeholders throughout the community remain apprised of the City’s ongoing acquisition and work in surveillance technologies and privacy protections.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Presenting this information to the public, parallel to its transmittal to the City Council, ensures that stakeholders throughout the community remain apprised of the City’s ongoing acquisition and work in surveillance technologies and privacy protections.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Other Law Enforcement Agencies Data Is Shared With Attachment B - Public Records Act Requests
APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager