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[ Administrative Code - Amendments to Public Works Surveillance Technology Policies ] Ordinance approving amended Surveillance Technology Polic ies for the Department of Public Works’ use of u nmanned a erial v ehicles ( “ Drone s ” ) , and the Department of Public Works’ use of an illegal dumping camera system with automatic license plate reader technology and cameras ; and making required findings in support of said approvals . NOTE: Unchanged Code text and uncodified text are in plain Arial font. Additions to Codes are i n single-underline italics Times New Roman font . D eletions to Codes are in strikethrough italics Times New Roman font . Board amendment additions are in double-underlined Arial font . Board amendment deletions are in strikethrough Arial font . Asterisks (* * * *) indicate the omission of unchanged Code subsections or parts of table s. Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco: Section 1 . Background. (a) Terms used in this ordinance shall have the meaning set forth in Administrative Code Chapter 19B (“ Chapter 19B ”). (b) Chapter 19B regulates City d epartments ’ acquisition and use of Surveillance Technology , as defined in Chapter 19B . Under Section 19B.2(a), a department must obtain the approval of the Board of Supervisors (“Board”) by ordinance of a Surveillance Technology Policy before: (1) seeking funds for Surveillance Technology; (2) acquiring or borrowing new Surveillance Technology; (3) using new or existing Surveillance Technology for a purpose, in a manner, or in a location not specified in a Surveillance Technology Policy ordinance approved by the Board in accordance with Chapter 19B; (4) entering into agreement with a non-City entity to acquire, share, or otherwise use Surveillance Technology; or (5) entering into an oral or written agreement under which a non-City entity or individual regularly provides the d epartment with data or information acquired through the entity's use of Surveillance Technology. (c) Under Administrative Code Section 19B.2(b), the Board may approve a Surveillance Technology Policy ordinance under Section 19B.2(a) if: (1) the d epartment seeking the Board ’s approval under Section 19 B .2 (a) creates a Surveillance Technology Policy and Surveillance Impact Report for the Surveillance Technology to be acquired or used; and (2) at a public hearing at which the Committee on Information Technology ( “ COIT ” ) considers the Surveillance Technology Policy, COIT recommends that the Board adopt, adopt with modifications, or decline to adopt the Surveillance Technology Policy for the Surveillance Technology to be acquired or used. (d) Under Administrative Code Section 19B.2(m), any amendment to an existing Surveillance Technology Policy shall be submitted directly to the Board and not to COIT. (e) On July 27, 2021, the Board approved the Department of Public Works ’ (the “ Department ” ) Surveillance Technology Policy titled, “ Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) ” (Board File No. 210559), to be used for disaster preparedness and response , environmental monitoring and documentation , inspections and surveys of the Department’s properties and assets , inspections and documentation of the Department’s projects , and surveying and mapping data collection. (f) On July 27, 2021, the Board of approved the Department’s Surveillance Technology Policy titled, “ OnSight Portable License Plate Reader” (Board File No. 210559), for Surveillance Technology used to discourage illegal dumping onto City streets. (g) On August 1, 2025, the Department provided COIT with a courtesy cop y of amendments to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) Surveillance Technology (the “Amended Drones Policy”) , as well as a courtesy copy of amendments to the Department’s OnSight Portable License Plate Reader Surveillance Technology Policy , which has now been retitled, the “ Illegal Dumping Camera System ” Surveillance Technology Policy (the “ Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy”). ( h ) The Amended Drones Policy and the Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy are on file and available for review in Board File No. 260334 . ( i ) This ordinance sets forth the Board ’ s findings in support of the Amended Drones Policy and the Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy and its approval of the se policies . Section 2 . Usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( Drones ) . (a) The Department currently possesses and uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( “UAVs” or “Drones ” ) pursuant to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( Drones ) Surveillance Technology Policy . The Department currently uses drone technology for (1) disaster preparedness and response , (2) environmental monitoring and documentation , (3) inspections and surveys of the Department’s properties and assets , (4) inspections and documentation of the Department’s projects , and (5) surveying and mapping data collection . (b) In addition to the preceding uses, the Department seeks to use Drones for the purposes of public education, the promotion of Department operations, and i dentifying illegal dumping refuse for garbage collection operations . Section 3. Usage of the Illegal Dumping Camera System. (a) The Department currently possesses and uses automated license plate reader (“ALPR”) technology pursuant to the Onsight Portable License Plate Reader Surveillance Technology Policy . Specifically, for proof of concept, the Department has used two license plate readers mounted on poles at the Department’s facilities and nine license plate readers mounted on fixed locations in one supervisorial district as part of a pilot project to discourage illegal dumping. ( b ) In addition to the preceding uses, the Department seeks to utilize ALPRs together with pan, tilt, and zoom (“PTZ”) cameras as part of an “I llegal D umping C amera S ystem ” comprised of the two technologies. The Illegal Dumping Camera System w ould be used to improve the identification of illegal dumping violators and enforcement actions directed at illegal dumping violators by captur ing evidence of vehicle drivers’ and passengers’ illegal dumping activity along with the associated vehicles’ license plate. In addition, the Department w ould use the Illegal Dumping Camera System for public education and to promote awareness of the Department’s operations . Section 4 . Findings and Approval of Amended Surveillance Policies. (a) The Board hereby finds that the benefits of the surveillance t e chnology authorized by the Amended Drones Policy outweigh its costs and risks; that the Amended Drones Policy will safeguard civil liberties and civil rights; and that the use s and deployments of technology authorized under the Amended Drones Policy will not be based upon discriminatory or viewpoint-based factors or have a disparate impact on any community or Protected C lass , as defined in Section 19B.1 of the Administrative Code . (b) The Board hereby finds that the benefits of the surveillance t e chnology authorized by the Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy outweigh its costs and risks; that the Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy will safeguard civil liberties and civil rights; and that the use s and deployments of technology authorized under the Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy will not be based upon discriminatory or viewpoint-based factors or have a disparate impact on any community or Protected C lass , as defined in Section 19B.1 of the Administrative Code . (c) The Board hereby approves the Amended Drones Policy and Amended Illegal Dumping Camera Policy. Section 5 . Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective at 12:00 a.m. on the 3 1 st day after enactment . Enactment occurs when the Mayor signs the ordinance, the Mayor returns the ordinance unsigned or does not sign the ordinance within ten days of receiving it , or the Board of Supervisors overrides the Mayor’s veto of the ordinance. APPROVED AS TO FORM : DAVID CHIU , City Attorney By: /s/ CHRISTOPHER T. TOM Deputy City Attorney 4902-9798-2616, v. 1