The latest tech contributions to SFPD’s Real Time Investigations Center come from Salesforce and Chris Larsen with combined $6 million in donations, which will go toward boosting infrastructure and operations and developing “counter-drone” technology.

The San Francisco Police Commission recently signed off on a pair of $3 million donations that would further expand the San Francisco Police Department’s Real Time Investigations Center, with funding coming from Salesforce and Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen through Larsen’s nonprofit, the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, as Mission Local and 48 Hills are both separately reporting. The proposal is now headed to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

Nearly $1 million from each donor would pay for two new drone docking stations and the development of unspecified "counter-drone" technology for the surveillance hub, which coordinates investigations using police drones and Flock Safety automated license plate readers to help officers locate suspects and support arrests.

According to Mission Local, neither the police department nor the foundation has offered details about what the counter-drone system would actually entail, but in general it refers to technology that can detect, track, or disable unauthorized drones. The remaining $2 million is slated for future technology upgrades, software, infrastructure, and other operational costs.

“We are proud to work with our cross-sector partners in the local business community to support public safety improvements in San Francisco,” said San Francisco Police Community Foundation CEO Ixchel Acosta, “giving SFPD effective and proven technology tools that allow our city to remain a national leader in the field, while responsibly balancing safety with privacy.”

Both contributions were routed through the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, the same nonprofit Larsen used last year to channel nearly $10 million to the Real Time Investigations Center after voters approved Proposition E. That same year, the center relocated from the Hall of Justice to a former Ripple Labs office in the Financial District that the city uses rent-free under Ripple's lease. 48 Hills reports that the building is part of a complex partially owned by Donald Trump.

The expansion comes just days after a Wired report revealed that live video feeds from five SFPD drones had been publicly accessible online for roughly six months because of a misconfigured sharing link, as SFist reported previously.

Additionally, Larsen previously funded the installation of dozens of privately owned surveillance cameras across the city in 2019. More recently, he donated $5 million toward improvements along Larkin Street, paying for decorative security gates, upgraded lighting, expanded street ambassador services, and daily sidewalk pressure washing. He also saved the Fillmore Jazz Festival last year.

Last month, the department announced plans for a "Drone as First Responder" pilot program in SoMa, where sworn officers would deploy drones from the Real Time Investigations Center before officers arrive on scene. The department is also expanding drone coverage to better serve the Mission Bay station, according to a July 16 memo, as Mission Local reports.

Tenderloin business owner Abdul Alomar said he's seen drones fly repeatedly over his block for investigations ranging from reported gunfire to robberies, but he remains conflicted.

“It definitely raises privacy concerns,” Alomar told Mission Local. “I’m really big on privacy, and in this day and age you can argue there’s no more privacy. We have Flock cameras everywhere. We have drones everywhere.”

Similar questions have surfaced in Japantown, where police drones have logged more than 20 flights over the last two years. Brandon Quan, deputy director of the neighborhood's community benefit district, said property crime has dropped substantially since the pandemic but wasn't prepared to attribute that improvement to the surveillance program alone, instead pointing to the neighborhood's partnership with Northern Station and the District Attorney's Office.

Previously: Crypto Mogul Chris Larsen Kicking Down Nearly $10 Million to SFPD for More Surveillance Efforts

Image: SFPD/48 Hills